Hawaii Hybrid Electric Vehicle Laws and Incentives
State Laws and Regulations
Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Acquisition Requirements
Once the state has met its federal and state vehicle acquisition mandates, state and county agencies, beginning January 1, 2010, must move toward purchasing light-duty vehicles that meet the needs of the agency while reducing petroleum consumption. The priority to be used for purchasing such vehicles is as follows:
1) electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles;
2) hydrogen or fuel cell vehicles;
3) other alternative fuel vehicles;
4) hybrid electric vehicles; and
5) vehicles identified as top performers for fuel economy in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's annual "Fuel Economy Leaders" report.
Exemptions may apply. State agencies are also required to purchase alternative fuels and ethanol blended gasoline when available, evaluate a purchase preference for biodiesel blends, and promote efficient operation of vehicles. For the purpose of this requirement, an alternative fuel is defined as an alcohol fuel, an alcohol fuel blend containing at least 85% alcohol, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, biodiesel, a biodiesel blend containing at least 20% biodiesel, a fuel derived from biological materials, and electricity provided by off-board energy sources.
(Reference Senate Bill 1202, 2009, and Hawaii Revised Statutes 103D-412 and 196-9)
Alternative Fuels Promotion
The state of Hawaii has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (PDF 108 KB) with the U.S. Department of Energy to collaborate to produce 70% of the state's energy needs from energy efficient and renewable sources by 2030. Download Adobe Reader. This effort is part of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. The goals of the partnership include defining the structural transformation required to transition the state to a clean energy-dominated economy; demonstrate and foster innovation in the use of clean energy, including alternative fuels; create opportunities for the widespread distribution of clean energy benefits; establish an open learning model for other states and entities to adopt; and build a workforce with cross-cutting skills to support a clean energy economy in the state.
