The biannual Zeroing in on Zero-Emission Trucks report by Calstart shows the deployment of electric trucks across the U.S. from January to June last year – when the federal government was dismantling standards aimed at increasing the number of electric trucks and before the four major truck manufacturers sued California over the Clean Truck Partnership.
Craig Segall, Senior Policy Consultant, said: “Fleets buy zero emission trucks because they make business sense. In fact, an entirely electrified supply chain is the best for business — and U.S. states clearly have big opportunities to push for competitive markets and affordable electric trucks for everyone.” or similar”
The report highlights some positive progress on electric truck adoption, “despite recent political headwinds such as the waiver uncertainty of the Advanced Clean Truck rule and the pullback of Advanced Clean Fleet regulations”.
Despite the attacks, California (10,659), Texas (5,201), and Florida (5,099) continue to lead the nation on numbers of electric truck deployment, in part because of incentives these states provide. Eighteen states now have more than 1,000 ZETs deployed.
The data indicates that demand for zero-emissions trucks will continue to grow if it can be matched with affordable pricing and policy certainty. The report states the cost of electric trucks “remain difficult for many fleets” but that regional round trip routes are emerging as a way to “meet cost parity with a diesel equivalent”.
Guillermo Ortiz, Senior Clean Vehicles Advocate, NRDC said: “In this era of affordability, the report shows that the trucking industry is continuing to turn to zero emission trucks because customers want the cost-savings and efficiency they provide. It also shows how important state incentives are in unlocking these benefits. Now we need to see truck manufacturers disclose information on the cost of their vehicles – to ensure the public and fleets are truly getting value for money.”
The report also notes a preference among drivers for electric trucks, as providing “better driving experiences compared to diesel trucks”.
While the overall deployment rate has slowed, several segments are seeing record growth. Medium-duty zero-emission trucks and yard tractors posted their strongest six month deployment period ever, with 311 medium-duty zero-emissions trucks deployed in the first half of 2025- more than in 2024, representing a 61% increase in just six months.
Katherine Garcia, Clean Transportation for All Campaign Director, Sierra Club said: “Calstart’s newest report shows that demand for clean trucks continues despite federal roadblocks. U.S. fleets are adopting a wide variety of zero-emission vehicles, including medium-duty trucks, step vans, cargo vans, and yard tractors to reduce their operational costs and meet environmental commitments. Many more fleets could benefit from switching to zero-emission trucks, if manufacturers fully committed to producing more zero-emission trucks and ensured they are affordable. Our communities need truck manufacturers and legislators to resist the relentless lobbying of the fossil fuel industry and instead help to accelerate the market to zero-emission trucks. We urgently need clean trucks to make freight movement more affordable and healthier.”
Meanwhile China and Europe are increasing their growth in electric truck adoption. Electric trucks made up 22% of new heavy truck sales in China last year, while Europe saw a drop of 11.9% in diesel truck sales and a jump of over 57% in electric truck sales for Q1-Q3 2025, according to industry figures.
Cost and a lack of price transparency has been a persistent problem in the U.S. The median price of class 8 battery-electric tractor trucks in the United States has increased 27 percent since 2020, even as battery costs have dropped, according to research from the International Council on Clean Transportation. In contrast, in the European Union, similar tractor trucks fell in price by 32 percent over the same period.
