Contact: Noah Barnes, Electrification Coalition
noah@electrification.org, (202) 461-2371
WASHINGTON—Today, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (JOET) released the National Zero Emission Freight Corridor Strategy, detailing targeted areas for strategic public and private investment to build the charging network required to support the electrification of critical elements of our nation’s freight system. By focusing on key hubs and corridors, utilities will also be able to plan and prioritize transmission and distribution needs and the timelines by which to deliver the necessary energy.
The Electrification Coalition welcomed the release of the strategy, and EC Executive Director Ben Prochazka offered this statement, “This strategy is a key piece in the national puzzle to electrify the U.S. freight system and move medium and heavy-duty vehicles off oil. We welcome this effort and believe that when combined with a strong final Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles from the EPA, our nation will be on track to electrify our freight system at an impressive speed and an unprecedented scale.”
Medium and heavy-duty vehicles make up about 10 percent of all vehicles on the road but consume more than a quarter of all fuel used in the U.S. transportation sector and release significant amounts of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, impacting the health of our communities. Reliance on oil poses a risk to our energy and national security and costs U.S. taxpayers roughly $81 billion a year to secure the global flow of oil, burdening American consumers, distorting American diplomatic goals, and leaving us at the mercy of nations who do not share our values. The factors underlying oil’s price volatility have not changed, nor will they. Electricity, on the other hand, can be produced entirely domestically and is a far more stable commodity.
Support for a wraparound medium and heavy-duty electrification strategy has been echoed by business leaders and municipalities around the country. In 2023, over 100 businesses called for a strong HD rule, and last month 75 Climate Mayors also urged the White House and the EPA to act quickly.
The federal investment in a clean-freight future has been demonstrated by many funding opportunities included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and include (but are not limited to):
- The EPA’s recently released Clean Ports Program
- Commercial Clean Vehicle Tax Credit (45W)
- Alternative Vehicle Refueling Property Tax Credit (30C)
- Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Funding
- Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program
- Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program
- Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP)
- Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities
- Carbon Reduction Program (CRP)
For a complete list, see Electrification Coalition – Electric Freight Funding Opportunities from BIL and IRA
To track the fast-moving investments in freight electrification, the EC recently released our Freight Electrification Dashboard, available here: Electric Freight Dashboard – Electrification Coalition
The EC is also convening the Electric Freight Consortium and the Port Electrification Network to foster shared learnings between shippers, carriers, ports, OEMs and other early moving stakeholders throughout the freight system.
EC Partners Supporting the National Zero Emission Freight Corridor Strategy:
IKEA
“At IKEA, we’re committed to ensuring 100% of our last-mile deliveries are zero-emission but know we can’t create a more sustainable future on our own. Today we applaud Joint Office of Energy and Transportation for announcing the National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy to build out the nation’s clean freight system and support commercial EV charging infrastructure.“
NESTLÉ
“Nestlé is supportive of the ZE Freight Corridor Strategy which plans to deploy zero-emission medium and heavy-duty charging and fueling infrastructure throughout the United States. Nestlé is working to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and as part of our roadmap to get there we are transforming the way we transport our products. The ZE Freight Corridor Strategy is designed to address barriers to the adoption of zero-emission vehicles and presents an opportunity for companies, including Nestle and its supply chain partners, to further progress towards decarbonization.“
ABB E-MOBILITY
“ABB E-mobility commends the US Government and U.S. Department of Energy’s release of the first ever national strategy to accelerate deployment of zero-emission infrastructure for freight trucks. The electrification of medium and heavy-duty trucks that transport goods around ports, metro-regions, states, and across country is foundational for building the #emobility economy. It will create jobs, save operators money, and mitigate climate change. ABB E-mobility is proud to work with truck manufacturers, charging operators, policy makers, and communities in enabling this transition!”
LION ELECTRIC
“Lion Electric is in complete support of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation’s (JOET) federal zero emission freight corridor strategy because of a critical need for the nation’s solid charging infrastructure to be built for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. Establishing a formal plan is pivotal to ensuring the demand for these vehicles can be met by providing access to an efficient charging infrastructure network across America’s roads. It is as crucial for states and local jurisdictions to have strong collaboration with their respective utility companies to install these reliable charging systems.”
The referenced letters can be found here:
Climate Mayors letter: Climate Mayors Letter to Biden to Finalize Strongest Possible EPA HDV Rule
EC Business letter: Business Support Letter to White House and EPA on HD Phase 3 Rule
CALSTART/Ceres Business letter: 7/5 Letter to the EPA Proposed Multi-Pollutant/GHG Emissions Standards
###
About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes policies and actions to facilitate the widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) on a mass scale to overcome the economic, public health and national security challenges that stem from America’s dependence on oil. ElectrificationCoalition.org