Electric Truck Rule Sweeps States

New York and Massachusetts close 2021 with commitments to zero-emission truck rules, joining a growing movement of states working to phase out deadly diesel pollution

More than one-in-five of all trucks sold in the nation will be zero-emission by 2035, after New York and Massachusetts announced in the final hours of 2021 to join a growing number of states in passing the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, the world’s first standard of its type to cut deadly diesel pollution by increasing the number of electric trucks that are manufactured each year.  

Over the last quarter of 2021, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts have followed California's lead in adopting the rule. Together, these six states make up roughly 20% of the nation’s medium- and heavy-duty truck fleet, according to Federal Highway Administration data.

Trucks make up only 5% of vehicles on the road but account for almost a quarter of U.S. transportation pollution. The new rules require a steadily increasing number of zero-emission trucks be manufactured each year. Last year, 15 states set a goal of 100% electric truck and bus sales by 2050 and adopting the ACT will accelerate this transition.

These rules are the start of an important process to electrify the nation’s freight corridors, which will dramatically reduce air and climate pollution in “diesel death zones” - heavily-polluted areas near transportation hubs that are often home to communities of color. With the rise of e-commerce, these communities can see more than a thousand diesel trucks pass through every hour.

Meanwhile, more than 70 companies have called upon governors to adopt the ACT, making the business, economic, and investor case for electric truck standards.

These early adopter states have generated clear momentum for the spread of the ACT rule. In 2020, 15 states plus the District of Columbia signed an MOU committing state regulators to consider the rule. Of these 15 states, now six have adopted the ACT and at least two more have signaled that it will be a policy priority in 2022. Additionally, Virginia recently added itself to the MOU, assuring its citizens that it will be exploring this regulatory tool for cutting deadly diesel pollution.