Half of California Trucks to Be Electric by 2035

Federal officials cleared the state of California to go ahead with a plan to require that half of all heavy vehicles sold in the state be all-electric by 2035, reports Coral Davenport in The New York Times. The rule, which goes beyond federal requirements, “comes on the heels of an ambitious regulation passed last year by California that requires all new passenger vehicles sold in the state to be electric by the same target year, 2035.”

As Davenport points out, the rule could have a powerful impact on the entire automotive industry. “When it takes effect next year, the rule will pertain to sales of trucks ranging in size from delivery vans to big rigs. By 2035, 55 percent of delivery vans and small trucks, 75 percent of buses and larger trucks, and 40 percent of tractor-trailers and other big rigs sold in the state would have to be all-electric.”

The Inflation Reduction Act offers a tax credit for electric truck purchases to offset the higher cost of electric vehicles for buyers. Beyond cost, other concerns about electric trucks include the high weight of batteries and the availability of efficient charging for long-distance trips.