The Indiana Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund Committee approved the successful grant applications, written by DCI on behalf of its members and partners, during a virtual meeting Tuesday, June 18.
"Drive Clean Indiana is proud of our fleets’ efforts to help decarbonize transportation in Indiana," Drive Clean Indiana Executive Director Carl Lisek said. "Drive Clean Indiana's
efforts have been the backbone in helping Indiana's fleets deploy these innovative transportation projects. Indiana fleets are national leaders when it
comes to successful alternative fuel deployments."
DCI members and partners receiving grant awards for the final round include City of Gary, Creighton Brothers, Gary Chicago International Airport (GYY), Gary Public Transport Corp (GPTC), Lafayette Limo, NTN Driveshaft, Pitt Ohio, School City of Hobart, Tire Rack, UPS, and Venture Logistics.
The projects involve 33 vehicles which include refuse trucks, transit buses, school buses, terminal tractors, and street sweepers with fueling systems including compressed natural gas, liquid propane gas, and electric.
In October 2017, Governor Eric J. Holcomb signed an executive order outlining steps to distribute Indiana’s $40.9 million portion of the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund, which was formed as a result of a settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Volkswagen Corporation for its violation of the federal Clean Air Act.
The executive order established the 11-member Indiana Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund Committee and named the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) as the beneficiary and the administrative agency for the trust fund. Projects eligible for grant funds under the program must reduce NOx emissions from diesel-powered vehicles and equipment and include the replacement and repowering of existing diesel vehicles or equipment with cleaner alternatives serving the same purpose.
This week’s funding announcement builds on the past successes of Drive Clean Indiana in assisting its members and partners with Volkswagen funding projects. Since 2019, Drive Clean Indiana has written or assisted on $35 million worth of grant funds with 441 clean vehicle deployments! For the final round of the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, the nonprofit’s members and partners were awarded more than 82 percent of the awards approved by the Indiana Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund Committee totaling more than $5.2 million for projects involving 33 vehicles, more than 94 percent of all the vehicles funded.
The 2024 grant awardees assisted by Drive Clean Indiana include a host of firsts while building on existing Green Fleet initiatives. Lafayette Limo was awarded funding for the first all-electric coach bus in the state for airport shuttles. Gary Public Transportation Corporation received funding for two more electric transit buses. School City of Hobart was awarded funding for their transition into propane fueled buses. The City of Gary was awarded funding for the CNG refuse trucks. Creighton Brothers, NTN Driveshaft, Pitt Ohio, Tire Rack, and Venture Logistics were awarded funding for all-electric terminal truck projects.
"The success of Drive Clean Indiana is directly related to the Green Fleet programs with NIRPC and MACOG," Lisek said. "Working cohesively to help educate fleets through the Green Fleet programs has helped fleets analyze operational costs and emissions baseline. Planning has been the most successful factor in funding these sustainable transportation projects."
| Grantee | County | Grant Award | Amount of Equipment | Equipment Detail |
| City of Gary | Lake | $570,000.00 | 3 | CNG Garbage Trucks |
| Creighton Brothers | Kosciusko | $233,212.00 | 1 | Electric Terminal Tractor |
| Delta Airlines | Marion | $183,918.00 | 5 | Electric GSEs |
| Gary Airport | Lake | $442,088.00 | 1 | Electric Street Sweeper |
| GPTC | Lake | $500,000.00 | 2 | Electric Transit Buses |
| Indy Airport | Marion | $570,000.00 | 1 | Electric Shuttle Bus |
| Lafayette Limo | Tippecanooe | $965,466.00 | 1 | Electric Coach Airport Shuttle |
| McCoy MGI Leasing | Marion | $221,289.00 | 1 | Electric Terminal Tractors |
| NTN Driveshaft | Bartholomew | $295,151.00 | 1 | Electric Terminal Tractor |
| Pitt Ohio | Marion | $266,960.00 | 1 | Electric Terminal Tractor |
| School City of Hobart | Lake | $77,188.00 | 2 | LPG School Buses |
| Tire Rack | St. Joseph | $520,392.00 | 2 | Electric Terminal Tractors |
| UPS | Hendricks | $424,000.00 | 10 | CNG Trucks |
| Venture Logistics | Tippecanooe | $1,000,000.00 | 4 | Electric Terminal Tractors |
