California Prepares ZEV Truck Mandate

There was once a time when you descended into Los Angeles airport through a thick layer of dark brown air created by the city’s massive dependency on the internal combustion engine.

Thanks to decades of clean air legislation targeting ICE vehicles, that’s gone. And very soon, California residents will be breathing much easier while reducing their carbon footprint exponentially as the State legislature is set to expand its ZEV mandate to trucks.

With Southern California home to the USA’s two busiest West coast ports (Los Angeles and Long Beach) and the tens of thousands of trucks hauling cargo from them daily, transitioning those vehicles to electric power will cause a ripple effect across the country and North into Canada.

It’s estimated the new mandate will result in 74,000 zero emission trucks on California roads by 2030, significantly reducing the 41% of greenhouse gases and particulate emissions attributed to the State’s transport sector.

Once adopted, 15% of pickup truck sales must be zero emission by 2030. But that standard also applies to heavier trucks, including semi-trailers. Zero emission box and delivery trucks are mandated to be 50% of new sales by 2030.

The overall California plan will require 100% zero emission truck sales in all categories by 2040.