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    • Energy Exchange

    Accelerating the clean energy revolution

    Image courtesy of City of Long Beach

    May 2026: Electric trucks, buses round-up 

    Posted: in Electric Vehicles, General

    Written By

    Marissa Nixon
    Marissa Nixon

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    Summary

    • Electric waste collection fleets continue to expand, with the City of Issaquah deploying Washington’s first fully integrated electric side-loading refuse trucks through Recology, while the City of Long Beach launched a pilot program using two zero-emission collection trucks to evaluate operational performance and support a potential transition to a fully electric waste fleet.
    • Tesla Semi adoption is accelerating in California’s commercial trucking sector, highlighted by WattEV’s record-breaking order of 370 trucks and a separate 60-truck commitment from port drayage operators Big F Transport and NICA Container Freight Line, signaling growing confidence in electric heavy-duty trucks and the supporting charging infrastructure.

    Medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles are hitting the road in 2026, and we’ve collected last month’s most exciting news. In 2025, EDF delivered monthly deployment updates on the biggest zero-emission transportation stories. By the end of 2025, it was clear that momentum was sustained throughout a challenging year. This year will undoubtedly see more big announcements, and we’ll be here to showcase the biggest orders and deployments of zero-emission trucks happening around the country.

    May announcements included continued adoption of zero-emission refuse vehicles on the west coast, along with Tesla receiving bulk orders for their new semi from several California carriers.

    City of Issaquah and Recology announce new all-electric waste collection vehicles

    The City of Issaquah has announced the deployment of two electric waste collection vehicles through its contracted waste hauler, Recology. The trucks are the first fully integrated side-loading waste vehicles in Washington state. The vehicles were requested during contract negotiations with Recology after feedback from city residents.

    Tesla Semi gets largest order yet with WattEV’s 370-truck deal

    WattEV announced an order of 370 Tesla Semi trucks, making it the largest single order of heavy-duty electric trucks in California to date. The first 50 vehicles are scheduled for delivery in 2026, with the full fleet expected to be operational by the end of 2027. WattEV cited the truck’s cost, performance and availability as factors in the purchase decision.

    City of Long Beach deploys first-ever zero-emissions collections trucks

    The City of Long Beach has launched a pilot program featuring its first two electric refuse collection trucks to evaluate the feasibility of transitioning to a fully zero-emission waste collection fleet. The program includes one large truck operating on standard routes and one smaller truck serving alley routes. The pilot will assess key performance factors such as payload capacity, operating time per charge and route completion reliability. City officials aim to determine whether electric trucks can match the performance of the current fleet before moving to broader adoption.

    Tesla Semi lands 60-truck order from port drayage fleets in California

    Two California port trucking companies, Big F Transport and NICA Container Freight Line, have ordered a combined 60 Tesla Semi trucks through charging infrastructure provider Forum Mobility, making it one of the largest Tesla Semi commitments in the port drayage industry to date. Big F Transport ordered 40 trucks, while NICA Container ordered 20. The trucks will operate from Forum Mobility’s new charging depot in Rancho Dominguez, California, scheduled to open in early 2027. The facility will include 14 megawatt-class chargers and support more than 200 zero-emission trucks.

    Now is a critical time for fleets to invest in medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks. These vehicles improve public health and help combat the climate crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Unlike traditional diesel-powered trucks, electric trucks produce no tailpipe emissions, which significantly cuts down on health-harming pollution. At the same time, these vehicles can help fleets manage exposure to volatile fuel prices and improve long-term operating cost stability. Adoption represents a key step toward a more sustainable and resilient transportation industry.

    Check back here next month to see a collection of the most exciting zero-emission vehicle announcements from June. In the meantime, check out EDF’s Electric Fleet Deployment & Commitment List to track announcements as they happen in real time, and view all May announcements.

    Check out last month’s announcements here.

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