Bipartisan support, market signals show path forward for zero-emission trucks in Texas

• The Texas Legislature closed their latest session demonstrating bipartisan support for several priority zero-emission truck policies.
• Though deadlines and politics in the compact legislative series prevented final passage of the measures, there is now a strong foundation for future policy opportunities to complement the growing zero-emission transportation market in Texas.

In the last six months of 2024, Texas added more zero-emission trucks than any state in the country. According to our EDF Deployments Tracker, there are at least 455 more electric trucks on order that will be on the road soon. After California, there are more zero-emission trucks on the road in Texas than any state in the country. And a new report from the International Council on Clean Transportation found Texas “as the most favorable state for adoption due to its low electricity costs” for Class 8 battery electric trucks. By 2028, it will be just as cheap to buy an electric truck as a traditional diesel truck in Texas, two to three years ahead of the national average and five years ahead of California.

The zero-emission truck future in Texas is ripe with opportunity. With incentive programs at the federal level uncertain, Texas has quietly but confidently become a leader in the clean truck industry. Texas’ light-touch approach to regulation allows it to move at the industry’s pace, focusing on incentives and policies that support Texas businesses and drive forward new ideas that bolster the state’s diverse economy.

The bipartisan support that a number of EDF’s proposed policies received during the legislature further underscores the opportunities in Texas:

HB 1846 would have created a multi-agency Electric Truck Advisory Council in Texas, bringing together public and private stakeholders to develop a statewide implementation plan for charging infrastructure and to support the deployment of zero-emission trucks. The bill passed the Texas House with support from more than 60 Democrats and 35 Republicans but got stalled in the Texas Senate.

HB 4519 and HB 4841 would have reformed the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan, the state’s air quality grants program that provides multiple grants that fund zero-emission trucks and infrastructure. The two bills received unanimous support in committee and were combined into an omnibus bill HB 3868, carried by Rep. Brooks Landgraf, the Chair of the House Environmental Regulation Committee. Though placed on the House Calendar the chamber ran out of time to pass the bill before the deadline.

EDF will pursue opportunities to advance these issues at the state agency level in the coming months, while also pursuing additional funding and incentives, permitting reform and workforce training.

While the bills didn’t cross the finish line, the bipartisan support and industry momentum make one thing clear: Texas is ready to lead on zero-emission trucks. With smart policy, strategic investment and continued collaboration, the road ahead points to a cleaner, more competitive freight future — powered by Texas.