Application for Volkswagen’s $3.3 Million Grant

• In light of the recent Volkswagen scandal in which Volkswagen sold approximately 500,000 diesel vehicles implemented with devices intentionally designed to reduce emission recordings, Volkswagen has settled with the Environmental Protection Agency to invest over $800 million in a Zero Emission Vehicle Investment Program. 
• The City Council has just authorized the City Manager to apply for and accept, if awarded, a grant from Volkswagen of America’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Investment Program. If the application is accepted the City of Santa Cruz would obtain up to $3.3 million from California Air Resources Board who will distribute the Volkswagen of America ZEV Investment Program funding.
• This grant application is extremely relevant to local transportation issues as the successful acceptance of Santa Cruz’s application could mean $3.3 million dollars in funding to Zero Emissions Vehicle charging infrastructure and ZEV vehicles which could be a key aspect of the City's aim to reduce emissions by 30% and switch 20% of cars to low carbon fuels by 2020.
• This initiative has been proposed by the Council as the Green City initiative, and with an already a high concentration of Zero Emission Vehicles, Santa Cruz City is posed to take advantage of this grant and the greater shift towards sustainable transportation that it exemplifies.

For details and more information please see the following City Council Agenda.