The U.S. Department of the Treasury recently issued new guidance on eligibility for the 30C Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, which provides a tax subsidy of up to $100,000 per charging port installed at private fleet depots and other logistics facilities.
By Casey Horan
Transportation electrification is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with nine states adopting the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which requires manufacturers to produce increasing amounts of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. There are more pathways than ever for MHDV fleets to electrify, as state and federal programs like those within the Inflation Reduction Act are incentivizing the transition by way of grants, rebates and financing.
To accommodate the vast amount of MHDEVs gearing up to electrify and help fleets get on the road faster, states can take advantage of a range of available solutions to address existing barriers. For example, one of the biggest challenges utilities face is timely interconnection, i.e., connection to the distribution grid, with fleets that require more capacity facing multi-year delays in some states.
This blog was co-authored by José Acosta-Córdova, Senior Transportation Policy Analyst at LVEJO
Transportation is a big issue in Illinois, accounting for almost one-third of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions — the sector responsible for the most GHG emissions in the state. Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, such as delivery vans, transit buses and large tractor-trailers are a disproportionate contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, but also other emissions like nitrogen oxide and particulate matter that directly harm the health of Illinoisans. Despite making up less than 10% of on-road vehicles, these trucks and buses are responsible for 67% of NOx and 59% of PM.
Advocates in the state have long been calling for Gov. Pritzker to move forward on key policies to advance zero-emission trucks and buses. Chief among them is the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which requires manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks and school buses.
U.S. companies are expanding their electric vehicle fleets, and last year was monumental. An astounding 10,265 electric trucks hit the road in 2023, according to a new EDF analysis of class 2b-8 fleet announcements.
Fleets across the country are going electric and utilities and regulators must be prepared for this essential transition. New York is currently taking on an ambitious medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle proceeding to address barriers to charging infrastructure and has just conducted a series of technical workshops that brought together fleets, utilities and experts, including Environmental Defense Fund, to share their knowledge, recommendations and needs with the New York Public Service Commission.
As hundreds of fleet professionals from across the U.S. gather in Austin, TX this week for the American Trucking Association’s annual Management Conference and Exhibition, some may be arriving with a feeling of uncertainty about the pace of transition to zero-emission trucks.
While fleet managers have more tools at their disposal than ever before, the ambition of their efforts has grown significantly, too. Thus, it can feel as challenging as ever to make progress on reducing pollution from trucks at a pace that meets the urgent health and climate imperative we all face.
Fleets know they need to drive toward a zero-emission future. Yet, there is no one-size-fits-all pace, and there are as many paths as there are fleets. But long-term, performance-based medium and heavy-duty emission standards can help.
