Free electric cars offered under state program

Residents with older cars can trade them in for free electric models under a state program to reduce air emissions.

AB617 was passed a few years ago, requiring the state of California to reduce emissions in the air. The city of Shafter was selected as two of the state's disadvantaged areas, because of studies finding citizens' overall health below the norm and the quality of the air.

A steering committee was formed and through meetings and discussions, a plan was created to reduce the emissions in Shafter and help the city get a little greener.

The newest program available to the residents of Shafter is the vehicle replacement program. This program will take in a resident's vehicle if it is older than 2006. The San Joaquin Valley Air District will replace the vehicle with an electric vehicle. "This program will significantly reduce vehicle emissions in the city," said Lynnda Martin, who has been on the steering committee since its inception. "Another program which I am so proud of is the trees that we got planted in our city's parks. This is such a great program and will beautify our parks as well as making the air healthier."\

Mayor Pro-Tem Cathy Prout, who has also been on the committee, said that it is wonderful to see all of their discussions coming to fruition. "We have had so many meetings, discussions, plans. It is nice to see all of this work reach a result. There are so many programs that our residents can take advantage of."

Another program which is available for Shafter residents is the opportunity to receive a new air filter for their home. The programs actually started in 2022 when the committee announced that the San Joaquin Valley Air District would be replacing residents' lawnmowers with electric ones. This program resulted in over 50 machines being taken out of commission and reducing the emissions in the air.

For more information on these programs, go to AB617@valleyair.org.