California announced Thursday during a press event that sales of new medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) in the state doubled in 2023 from the prior year.
State officials say one out of every six new vehicles sold for services that include last-mile delivery, freight transportation, and school buses in the state last year was a ZEV, a big step toward achieving its short- and long-term ZEV goals.
With 18,473 medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs sold in California in 2023, the state reports it has exceeded its Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) goal two years ahead of schedule and selling five times the required amount. Since 2021, a total of 26,921 medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs have been sold in California.
“California is once again proving what can be done by turning ambition into action. We’re achieving our goals years ahead of schedule. The fifth biggest economy in the world is moving away from dirty polluting big rigs and delivery fleets – cleaning our air and protecting public health,” says Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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California officials state their latest figures are a preliminary look at annual data that tracks sales of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in California and points to continued momentum for zero-emission vehicles ahead of rules that start phasing in later this year requiring the gradual deployment of clean vehicle technology for fleets.
“California set visionary targets to move key transportation sectors toward zero-emissions technology and the market is stepping up to be part of the solution for cleaner air and climate action well ahead of required targets,” says California Air Resources Board (CARB) chair Liane Randolph. “The data shows that the future is zero-emissions and that fleets are finding value in making the switch early.”
