The following table provides a list of DERA-eligible diesel-powered vehicles, engines, and equipment (Section VIII, Table 2 of 2023-2024 DERA State Guide).

If your vehicle/engine/equipment fits the description of an eligible project, then the following operational, ownership, usage, and remaining life requirements MUST be met (Section X, Subsection C of 2023-2024 DERA State Guide). In addition, a signed eligibility statement including each vehicle’s make, model, year, vehicle identification number, odometer/usage meter reading, engine make, model, year, horsepower, engine ID or serial number, vehicle/equipment registration/licensing number, and state will be required as part of EPA reporting requirements.

Operational: The existing vehicle, engine, or equipment must be fully operational. Operational equipment must be able to start, move, and have all necessary parts to be operational. 

Ownership: The participating fleet owner must currently own and operate the existing vehicle or equipment and have owned and operated the vehicle during the two years prior to upgrade. 

Remaining Life: The existing vehicle, engine, or equipment must have at least three years of remaining life at the time of upgrade. Remaining life is the fleet owner’s estimate of the number of years until the unit would have been retired from service if the unit were not being upgraded or scrapped because of the grant funding. The remaining life estimate is the number of years of operation remaining even if the unit were to be rebuilt or sold to another fleet. The remaining life estimate depends on the current age and condition of the vehicle at the time of upgrade, as well as things like usage, maintenance, and climate. 

Usage: 

• For On-highway Vehicles: The mileage of two or more units may be combined to reach the thresholds below where two or more units will be scrapped and replaced with a single unit. 

• To be eligible for funding, the existing certified highway engine/vehicle must have accumulated at least 7,000 miles/year during the two years prior to upgrade. 

  • Exception: If a recipient can demonstrate that a certified highway engine/vehicle is being used in a predominately nonroad application (e.g. firetrucks or utility trucks that idle for long periods to power auxiliary apparatus), engine operating hours as defined below in “nonroad usage” may be used for application eligibility purposes. If selected for award, EPA will review and approve eligibility on a case-by-case basis. 

• For Non-road Vehicles, Engines, and Equipment: The engine operating hours of two or more units may be combined to reach the thresholds below where two or more units will be scrapped and replaced with a single unit. 

• Agricultural Pumps: To be eligible for funding, certified nonroad agricultural pumps must operate at least 250 hours/year during the two years prior to upgrade.

  • All Other Nonroad Engines: To be eligible for funding, certified nonroad engines should operate at least 500 hours/year during the two years prior to upgrade.

• Exception: If a recipient can demonstrate that a certified nonroad engine/vehicle is being used in a predominately highway application, vehicle mileage as defined above in “highway usage” may be used for application eligibility purposes. If selected for award, EPA will review and approve eligibility on a case-by-case basis. 

• For Locomotive & Marine Engines: The engine operating hours of two or more units may be combined to reach the thresholds below where two or more units will be scrapped and replaced with a single unit. 

• The existing certified locomotive and marine engines must operate at least 1,000 hours/year during the two years prior to upgrade. 

The following table provides a list of DERA-eligible emission reduction solutions (Section VIII, Table 3 of 2023-2024 DERA State Guide).

Note: For Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Projects

1. Replacement highway vehicles must be certified by EPA and/or CARB to meet applicable emission standards. Replacement nonroad equipment, locomotives and marine vessels must be powered by engines certified to EPA and/or CARB emission standards. However, zero tailpipe emissions nonroad equipment, marine vessels, and locomotives do not require EPA or CARB certification. EPA’s annual certification data for vehicles, engines, and equipment may be found at EPA’s Annual Certification Data for Vehicles, Engines, and Equipment website. EPA’s engine emission standards may be found at EPA’s All EPA Emission Standards website. Engines certified by CARB may be found by searching CARB’s Executive Orders for Heavy-duty Engines and Vehicles, found on CARB’s New Vehicle and Engine Certification website. Information on low NOx engines can be found at EPA’s Low NOx Certified Engine Factsheet.
2. The replacement vehicle or equipment must be of similar type and gross vehicle weight rating or horsepower as the vehicle, engine, or equipment being replaced.
   1. Nonroad: Horsepower increases of more than 40 percent require specific approval by EPA prior to purchase, and the recipient may be required to pay the additional costs associated with the higher horsepower equipment.
   2. Highway: The replacement vehicle must not be in a larger weight class than the existing vehicle. Exceptions may be granted for vocational purposes and require specific EPA approval prior to purchase.
3. The replacement vehicle, engine, or equipment must continue to perform similar function and operation as the vehicle, engine, or equipment that is being replaced.
4. The replacement vehicle must resemble the replaced vehicle in form and function. The cost of optional components or “add-ons” that significantly increase the cost of the vehicle may not be eligible for funding under the grant.

For information on battery electric powered projects and other solutions, please refer to Section X, Subsection D of the 2023-2024 DERA State Guide.

If one of the provided diesel emission reduction strategies is compatible with your project goals, please verify the specified solution is eligible for your vehicle, engine, and/or equipment by reviewing the applicable table below (Section X, Tables 4, 5, 6, and 7 of 2023-2024 DERA State Guide).

Medium and Heavy-Duty Truck, Transit Bus, and School Bus Project Eligibility

1 Auxiliary power units and generators are not eligible on vehicles with EMY 2007 or newer.

2 Eligible fuel cell projects are limited to hydrogen fuel cell engine replacements for eligible urban transit buses, shuttle buses and drayage trucks, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle replacements for eligible urban transit buses, shuttle buses, and drayage trucks. 

3 Please see the Low-NOx Engine Factsheet found on the DERA website for guidance on identifying engines certified to meet CARB’s Optional Low NOx Standards.

Non-road Vehicle/Equipment and Engine Project Eligibility

1 Tier 3 and Tier 4 interim (4i) allowed for vehicle/equipment replacement only when Tier 4 final is not yet available from OEM for 2021 model year equipment under the Transition Program for Equipment Manufacturers (TPEM).

2 Tier 3 and Tier 4i engines may be used for engine replacement only if Tier 4 is demonstrated to not be available or feasible through a best achievable technology analysis as defined in Section X.B., below.

3 Eligible fuel cell projects are limited to hydrogen fuel cell equipment replacements for eligible terminal tractors/yard hostlers, stationary generators, and forklifts.

4 Fuel cell engine replacement is not eligible.

Locomotive Engine Project Eligibility

1 Fuel cell engine and locomotive replacements are not eligible. 

2 Automatic engine start-stop technologies are only eligible to be installed on locomotives currently certified to Tier 

0 or unregulated, subject to the restriction on mandated measures. 

3 Tier 3 engines may be used for engine replacement only if Tier 4 is demonstrated to not be available or feasible 

through a best achievable technology analysis as defined in Section X.B. Tier 3 is not eligible for 

locomotive replacement. 

4 Some locomotive engine projects may be subject to the restriction on mandated measures. 

Note: Tier 0+, Tier 1+, Tier 2+, Tier 3, and Tier 4 represent locomotives manufactured or 

remanufactured under the more stringent Tier standards promulgated under the 2008 (current) 

locomotive and marine rule. Tier 0, Tier 1, and Tier 2 represent locomotives originally 

manufactured or remanufactured under the less stringent Tier standards promulgated in 1997.

Marine Engine Project Eligibility

1Tier 3 engines may be used for engine replacement only if Tier 4 is demonstrated to not be available or feasible through a best achievable technology analysis as defined in Section X.B., below. Over 800 HP, Tier 3 engines are not eligible for full vessel replacement. 

2 Fuel cell engine and vessel replacements are not eligible. 

3 Some marine engine projects may be subject to the restriction on mandated measures.

The following table provides the maximum percentage of DERA funds that can be contributed to a specified project (Section XI, Table 8 of 2023-2024 DERA State Guide).