SACRAMENTO – The Air Resources Board is offering up to $5,000 in rebates to Californians who purchase alternative fuel and electric vehicles.

Overall, $1.62 million in funding will be dispensed under the Fueling Alternatives rebate program administered by the California Center for Sustainable Energy. The program is part of $25 million of overall funding that came out of Assembly Bill 1811 -- authored by Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) and passed in 2007 -- which promotes alternative fuel infrastructure and vehicles. The rebates are available for qualifying vehicles that are purchased or leased between May 24, 2007 and March 31, 2009, unless funding runs out first.

Rebates up to $3,000 are available for Honda and BAF Technologies compressed natural gas vehicles, $1,500 for the Vectrix zero emission motorcycle, and between $950 and $1,300 for certain models of the GEM neighborhood electric vehicle. Up to $5,000 is available for full-function zero emission vehicles once they are added to the list of eligible vehicles

To receive a rebate, vehicles must be ARB-certified (with the exception of zero emission motorcycles), comply with all federal motor vehicle safety standards, and meet a minimum manufacturer warranty. ARB staff are anticipating most of the rebates to be taken up by consumers who have bought eligible vehicles since last May, and have been waiting for the state funding to be allocated before submitting their rebate applications.

For a complete listing of eligible vehicles, go to www.fuelingalts.energycenter.org (http://www.fuelingalts.energycenter.org/).

"Through this program we are helping to create a market for advanced technology that offsets the higher costs of alternative fuel vehicles in the interest of bringing production levels up," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "Kudos to the Governor and Legislature for leveling the playing field in order to bring the cleanest fleet of vehicles onto California roadways sooner."

ARB estimates that there are currently about 25,000 dedicated alternative fuel vehicles in California, collectively saving millions of gallons of gasoline each year while emitting fewer pollutants than conventional internal combustion engines. To find the cleanest cars available on the market today, visit DriveClean.ca.gov (http://www.driveclean.ca.gov/).