CALSTART Unveils “Transforming Trucks Transforming Communities” to Close the Zero-Emissions Vehicle Information Gap for Small Commercial Fleets
The new virtual hub features relevant news, resources, and tools to help small and medium-sized medium- to heavy-duty truck fleet owners and operators seamlessly transition to electric vehicles
PASADENA, CA (November 17, 2021) – Today CALSTART launches Transforming Trucks Transforming Communities, a virtual resource hub designed to empower small commercial truck fleet owners and operators with the information they need to make smart decisions about zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs). The website will be updated continuously to feature the latest ZEV industry news, as well as provide essential information to educate visitors about electric trucks, how they work, where to find them and how to implement them into their fleets today.
“Most commercial trucking fleets in the U.S. are small businesses, yet most of the news and information circulating about zero-emissions trucks is geared toward large, well-funded fleets,” says Niki Okuk, deputy director of CALSTART. “Transforming Trucks Transforming Communities is designed to close that information gap and make the ZEV news relevant to small- and medium-sized fleets much easier to find and act on.”
To start, Transforming Trucks Transforming Communities will feature curated ZEV industry news and easy-to-use resources created specifically for small and medium-sized fleet owners and operators. Available tools include:
- Total Cost of Ownership Calculator – Easy-to-use tool which uses current diesel truck information to predict fleet savings and return on investment for electric trucks.
- Funding Finder – California-specific tool which helps fleets find all their local, state, and utility incentives based on their location and truck types.
- Infrastructure Planning Tools – Guides and toolkits which helps small business owners sort through their options for installing chargers and fueling zero-emission trucks.
While supporting, educating, and empowering locally owned small businesses to adopt zero-emission trucks is the primary goal for Transforming Trucks Transforming Communities, promoting the health- and environment-oriented benefits of EVs is also a priority. Electrified fleets improve air quality and reduce noise pollution in the areas where trucks travel and park.
“As the state continues to raise the bar with ambitious zero-emission freight goals, we have to remember that truck drivers and operators in our neighborhoods are often minority small-business owners who need and deserve additional resources to be part of this industry transformation. Too often we are left behind,” says Okuk, who is leading the project within CALSTART and is a former small-fleet owner herself.
As the platform matures, CALSTART will feature impactful fleet electrification success stories from the neighborhoods that need it most; their stories will underscore instances where small businesses and the surrounding communities are living and working better because of EVs.
About CALSTART
A national nonprofit consortium with offices in New York, Michigan, Colorado and California and partners world-wide, CALSTART works with 280+ member company and agency innovators to build a prosperous, efficient, and clean high-tech transportation industry. We overcome barriers to modernization and the adoption of clean vehicles. CALSTART is changing transportation for good.