Inherently Low Emisssion Vehicle Program (ILEAV)
The purpose of the federal ILEAV Program is to evaluate airport use of alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) and infrastructure to determine their reliability, performance, and cost-effectiveness in the airport environment.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administers the ILEAV Program under its Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and adheres to AIP guidelines unless directed legislatively. The FAA awarded ILEAV grants to ten commercial aviation airports, for amounts of up to $2 million per airport. The amount of each grant must be matched by the airports. Generally, the grant covers 50% of the cost difference between standard airport vehicles and low-emission vehicles, which are generally more expensive. Some airports have successfully exceeded this requirement by leveraging additional local contributions.
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FAA ILEAV Program requirements
Congress established the ILEAV Program under the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21 st Century (AIR-21) and restricted eligibility to:
- Public-use airports in areas that do not meet federal air quality standards designed to protect public health
- Vehicles located or primarily used at the airport
- Vehicles operating exclusively on six alternative fuels: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG); Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG); Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG); electricity, hydrogen, or methanol-85.
Congress limited federal grant assistance to the cost difference between conventionally powered vehicles and “low emission” versions of the same vehicle. The grant pays the entire cost, however, of new infrastructure such as new electrical service and battery chargers. Moreover, the FAA encouraged airports to provide public access to ILEAV refueling or recharging stations to maximize regional air quality benefits.
All ILEAV grant agreements with airports were signed at the end of September 2001 and airports could begin placing equipment orders at that time.
