As of early spring, six states passed Advanced Clean Truck rules that will require the makers of large trucks (8,500 pounds or more), to increase the production and sales of zero-emission vehicles. The goal of this new mandate is to reduce and/or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and conventional air pollutants. In the US, medium and large trucks account for more than 60% of tailpipe nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions. This upcoming shift in standards presents the opportunity to reduce air pollution, protect environmental justice communities, and address the climate crisis.
By way of the Advanced Clean Truck rule, the transition to electric trucks is targeted to launch in 2025. In the United States, six states have already approved the Advance Clean Truck rule. These states include Oregon, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California. Together, these six states account for 20% of the nation’s trucking fleet. States in line to follow suit in adopting this rule and/or weighing in on new regulations include Maine, Colorado, Illinois, Connecticut, and Vermont. By adopting the Advance Clean Truck rule, manufacturers must increase their zero-emission truck sales 30% to 50%, and 40% to 75% by 2035. Along with the increase of zero-emission truck sales, the country will start seeing an increase of sales for electric-powered pickups, buses, garbage trucks, and tractor-trailers.
A large concern with switching over to zero-emission vehicles is time. Charging a truck requires more time than the average diesel fill-up. This extra time translates to added cost. For example, a trip today with diesel fueled trucks can take two days, but with an electric vehicle, that same trip can take four.
As for the total trucking capacity for the industry, it is unclear just how much of an impact switching to electric trucking methods will have. While greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by making the switch, electric trucks will have several extra pounds added to total payloads due to the large batteries needed to move cargo longer distances without stopping to charge. For instance, in California, electric trucks will get a waiver for an additional 2,000 pounds of payload on top of the state mandated 80,000-pound towing capacity to offset the difference in added weight from large batteries.
Electric vehicles are paving the way to the future. Though electric trucks may not be the perfect addition for all involved, the passing of Advance Clean Truck rules is the opportunity for companies with large trucks to join the movement of producing and selling zero-emission vehicles, while also reducing and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and conventional air pollutants.