California has long been known for its efforts to reduce pollution from vehicles, and efforts to popularize hybrids and electric cars.
The California Air Resources Board has now taken that one step further by approving a $27 million fund for its Air Quality Improvement Program (AQIP).
Much of this fund will be used to incentivise the purchase of zero-emission and plug-in hybrid cars. The California Energy Commission will contribute a further $5 million.
"This unique incentive program makes ultra-clean cars affordable for more Californians, helps slash smog-forming pollution and cuts greenhouse gas emissions" said CARB chairman Mary D. Nichols.
As well as plug-in passenger cars, $10m of the fund will go towards zero-emission trucks and buses, with $2m being used for advanced-technology demonstration projects.
Since the scheme began in 2008, the AQIP funding has already helped to put over 7,500 green cars and over a thousand trucks and buses on California's roads.
All in all, the new funding should help California on its target of one in seven new cars being zero-emissions by 2025.
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