Padilla Hails $135M for Zero-Emission Trucks in California

TL/DR –

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted $135.2 million to 12 California recipients to purchase 455 zero-emission vehicles. The funds, from the Inflation Reduction Act, will replace internal combustion engine heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) with zero-emission vehicles and support the build-out of clean vehicle infrastructure as part of EPA’s new Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program. Vehicles eligible for replacement include older vehicles powered by internal combustion engines that pre-date recent EPA emission standards; these will be replaced with battery-electric box trucks, cargo trucks, emergency vehicles, refuse/recycling haulers, school buses, and other vocational vehicles, as well as some hydrogen fuel cell transit buses.

U.S. Senator Applauds $135.2 Million Grant for Zero-Emission Vehicles in California

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) praised the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for allocating $135.2 million to assist 12 California entities in acquiring 455 zero-emission vehicles. The funds are from the Inflation Reduction Act, under the umbrella of the EPA’s newly-introduced Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program.

The initiative aims at replacing heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) that use internal combustion engines with zero-emission alternatives. It will also facilitate the development of clean vehicle infrastructure and foster workforce training in new technologies. The selected projects will help decrease harmful emissions from HDVs, improve air quality in high-traffic areas, and support well-paid jobs.

Senator Padilla said, “Reducing vehicle and school bus pollution is crucial in the fight against the climate crisis. This significant investment will facilitate the transition to zero-emission vehicles, providing cleaner air and creating economic opportunity for the most pollution-affected communities across California.”

Among the California recipients of the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program are:

• South Coast Air Quality Management District – $58.74 million. The funds will replace 74 fossil fuel-powered school buses and 126 high-mileage HDVs with electric models, significantly reducing emissions.
• Los Angeles Unified School District – $20.37 million. The grant will replace 50 school buses with electric models and establish electric charging infrastructure, reducing emissions and supporting local workforce development.
• Oakland Unified School District – $15.18 million. The funds will replace 60 school buses with zero-emission models, decreasing emissions and improving air quality.
• Port Department of the City of Oakland – $10.50 million. This investment will replace 60 UPS delivery trucks with electric models, benefiting vulnerable and underserved communities.
• San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District – $8.93 million. The grant will replace 26 on-road trucks with zero-emission models, directly enhancing air quality.

A comprehensive list of the selected California projects is available here.

Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., accounting for over a quarter of all emissions. HDVs are particularly harmful, constituting only 10% of vehicles but producing 28% of the sector’s emissions. The Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program targets older vehicles for replacement and earmarks funds for zero-emission vehicle fueling infrastructure and workforce development. These investments align with the National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization and the National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy.

The program includes two sub-programs: a School Bus Sub-Program and a Vocational Vehicles Sub-Program. Anticipated finalization of awards is in early 2025, with project implementation over the next two to three years. More information on the program is available here.

Senator Padilla has been a consistent voice for reducing emissions across the transportation and freight sectors. His efforts include the launch of a National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy

—
Read More US Economic News