Heavy-duty trucks are one of the biggest sources of harmful pollution in the US. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen some real movement - new leadership, early signs of progress, and growing commitment from both policymakers and companies to get zero-emission trucks on the road.
In California, things are starting to shift in a meaningful way. On May 13, the state opened applications for the Clean Fuel Reward program, which will provide $1 billion through 2030 to help fleets buy zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles. At the same time, the Tesla Semi is beginning to roll out. Put together, it’s a clear signal: large-scale, more affordable deployment of zero-emission trucks is taking shape in the country’s biggest market.
We explored how to accelerate that transition at the US Leaders' Forum last month. We brought together operators, policymakers, and industry experts for a focused roundtable on what’s working, what’s not, and where we go next. Five key takeaways came out of that conversation. Read more about them here in our full report.
One thing came through loud and clear: cost still matters. Incentives help, but we also need a more competitive market to bring prices down. Policies like California’s SB 1213, which would require price transparency, along with new entrants like Tesla, could help shift the market. If we want more zero-emission trucks on the road, affordability is critical.
States and companies are starting to step up to tackle one of the biggest sources of pollution in our daily lives. Now the job is to keep the momentum going. Climate Group North America is ready to partner, drive demand, and help move this transition faster.