Washington, D.C. – Today, the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) endorsed the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and U.S. Representatives Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44), Doris Matsui (D-CA-6), Ann Kuster (D-NH-2), and Yvette Clark (D-NY-9).
The Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Act would require the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to establish a rebate program to promote the purchase and installation of electric vehicle supply equipment for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. In 2019, medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles accounted for 24% of greenhouse gas emissions and 57% of deadly particulate matter emissions in the transportation sector—despite representing less than 10% of all vehicle miles traveled. The transportation sector is the largest contributor to the United States’ total emissions.
“The electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles is a critical step toward reducing emissions. These vehicles are among the most polluting vehicles on the road, so they exact a heavy toll on our economy, environment, and public health—particularly in frontline communities,” said Joe Britton, the Executive Director of ZETA.
“Climate chaos is not a distant possibility,” said Senator Merkley in a press release. “We can’t sit on our hands. We need to tackle this problem head on, and we can’t do that without cutting transportation pollution. This bill will help us on that mission, so we can protect our communities, families, and economies from the worst of climate chaos’ consequences.”
“Transportation is the number one source of carbon emissions in the United States, but we have made great strides in developing technology to tackle the climate crisis by switching over to electric vehicles,” said Representative Kuster. “This legislation will help to expand our nation’s clean energy infrastructure to reduce carbon pollution, build a clean energy economy for the 21st Century, and protect our planet for generations to come.”
Building electric vehicle supply equipment will boost the U.S. economy and spur job creation. A recent report found that manufacturing and installing charging infrastructure creates more than twelve jobs per million dollars of investment, which is a better job-to-cost ratio than highway maintenance or traditional car manufacturing.
The policy mechanism of this legislation is sound, too. Studies indicate that the availability of charging infrastructure is closely correlated with the size of the vehicle fleet. This bill’s rebate program would facilitate the expansion of the national charging network for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles, which will pave the way toward increasing the number of these vehicles on the road.
“By establishing rebates for charging equipment that focus on one of the hardest to electrify parts of our transportation system, we will jumpstart the adoption of zero-emissions trucks,” said Representative Barragán.
“By creating rebates for the purchase and installation of electric vehicle supply equipment to power these vehicles, the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Act will accelerate electrification and emissions reduction in this important segment of the transportation sector,” Britton continued. “ZETA is proud to endorse this landmark, bicameral legislation.”
The Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) is a federal coalition focused on advocating for 100% EV sales by 2030. ZETA is committed to enacting policies that drive EV adoption, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, secure American global EV manufacturing dominance, drastically improve public health, and significantly reduce carbon pollution.
