Energy Exchange

Four things fleet leaders should know about America’s grid and zero-emission trucks

By Jason Mathers and Pamela MacDougall / Published: November 8, 2023

Photo courtesy of North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s proposed Phase 3 Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards are poised to add yet another spark to the medium- and heavy-duty truck industry’s acceleration toward low- and zero-emission trucks.

Whereas many of the incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act are intended to spark demand for zero-emission trucks, EPA’s proposed truck rule, when finalized, could help to ensure there will be a robust supply of low- and zero-emission solutions for fleets. In EPA’s proposal for these technology-neutral performance standards, the agency projects manufacturers could meet the standards through increasing market shares for zero-emission trucks. For example, in 2030, this could help ensure that 27% of medium-duty vocational trucks – like parcel delivery step vans, and 20% of tractor-trailer day cabs will be ZEVs.

Posted in General / Authors: jasonmathers, pmacdougall / Comments are closed

Charging infrastructure is key for New Jersey fleets to electrify

By Pamela MacDougall / Published: October 14, 2022

This is the first installment of a two-part blog series about zero-emission truck and bus charging infrastructure in New Jersey.

Electrifying transportation — particularly trucks and buses — is among the key elements New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan identifies to help the state decarbonize its economy by 2050. It is one of the most powerful ways to reduce pollution, improve equity and health and spark economic growth throughout the state. In 2021, New Jersey became the first state in the Northeast to adopt the Advanced Clean Trucks rule — requiring manufactures to produce zero-emission trucks and buses. The state is also a signatory to the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management’s Multi-State Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding, requiring 30% of vehicle sales to be zero-emission by 2030. To enable these benefits and support meeting New Jersey’s electric truck and bus adoption goals, sufficient and timely charging infrastructure is necessary.

Posted in Climate, Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

4 main takeaways from America’s top transit agencies on electrifying buses

By Pamela MacDougall / Published: July 28, 2022

Many U.S. transit agencies, from New York to Los Angeles to Houston, are working to convert their bus fleets from diesel to electric. The number of electric transit buses currently on order or operating in the U.S. grew 112% from 2018 to 2021, according to CALSTART. Electric buses are cleaner, quieter and increasingly more cost-effective than traditional diesel-powered alternatives.

While many makes and models of electric buses are now available to address transit agencies’ needs, charging is still a significant hurdle. Transit agencies are faced with the complexity of determining charging infrastructure needs while maintaining operations and reducing costs, which can be a maze of decisions and obstacles to overcome.

To uncover the emerging trends, barriers and best practices these agencies are implementing to meet their own electrification goals, EDF worked with Atlas Public Policy to interview 28 transit agencies in the process of electrifying their fleets, as well as utilities, engineering firms, charging manufacturers and thought leaders in transit charging. The results are highlighted in a new report out today entitled, Deploying Charging Infrastructure for Electric Transit Buses: Best practices and lessons learned from deployments to date.

Posted in Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

Smart charging should be integral part of a national EV charging network

By Pamela MacDougall / Published: January 20, 2022

Electric trucks are coming, and they’re coming fast. Just before 2021 drew to a close, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts joined California, Oregon and Washington to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission trucks with the adoption of the Advanced Clean Truck program. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, securing up to $67 billion in direct investment in zero-emission trucks and buses, as well as several critical tax credits to support the purchase and production of zero-emission trucks. And more than 150 truck fleets are either operating zero-emission trucks or have trucks on order.

Posted in California, Electric Vehicles, New Jersey, New York / Comments are closed

4 things every utility, fleet and energy regulator should know about heavy-duty truck charging

By Pamela MacDougall / Published: March 31, 2021

The transition to electric heavy-duty trucks is upon us, sparked by a steady decline in battery costs, continuous improvements in electric truck and charging technology, and growing recognition of the climate and local air quality impact of diesel trucks. But even as household names like FedEx, PepsiCo and Amazon have made public pledges to electrify their truck fleets, concerns that charging infrastructure will be able to meet fleets’ needs cost effectively threaten to slow the market-wide transition.

A study commissioned by EDF and conducted by Gladstein, Neandross and Associates addresses these charging questions and provides a pathway to ensuring heavy duty trucks can electrify.

Posted in California, Electric Vehicles, Grid Modernization / Comments are closed