GHG Emissions  -  July 16, 2020

NY, DC and 13 other states join diesel vehicle electrification initiative

Fourteen states and the District of Columbia signed a joint memorandum of understating committing to accelerating the electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to ensure that all these vehicles be zero-emission by 2050.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York announced the initiative July 14, including its interim target of ensuring 30% of new vehicle sales in these categories are zero-emission by 2030. The MOU includes the electrification of medium- and heavy-duty trucks like large pickup trucks and vans, delivery trucks, box trucks, school and transit buses and long-haul delivery trucks.

"With a lack of federal leadership and an outright failure to follow science, it has fallen to the states to address the climate crisis by working together to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from all sources," Gov. Cuomo said in a statement. "Reducing pollution from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles will result in cleaner air for New Yorkers, particularly low-income neighborhoods and communities of color that have historically and disproportionately borne the brunt of the worst environmental consequences. As New York continues to implement nation-leading climate initiatives, this multi-state agreement furthers the critical leadership roles of the states in combating climate change and establishes an example for other states to follow."   

Signatories of the MOU include California, Connecticut, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. These states will work through the existing ZEV (zero-emission vehicle) Task Force to develop and implement an action plan to achieve these electrification targets.

According to Gov. Cuomo’s office, trucks and buses account for an estimated 4% of vehicles on the roads in the U.S. but contribute nearly a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. New York in particular plans to use their settlement from the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal to fund the state’s transition to an electrified transportation sector and continue their work toward mitigating the effects of climate change. The investment of the settlement funds is expected to result in at least $300 million of clean vehicles and infrastructure in New York State.

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