Calstart: Number of Electric Commercial Vehicle Models Surging

Calstart, the Pasadena-based national non-profit clean transportation accelerator, said the number of electric truck, bus and off-road equipment models in the United States and Canada could rise nearly 78 percent by the end of 2020 compared to year-end 2019.

By the end of 2020, there will be 169 ZE (zero-emission) medium- and heavy-duty vehicle models in commercial production compared to 95 in 2019, Calstart said in a statement. That figure is expected to increase to 195 by 2023.

These figures come from Calstart’s Zero-Emission Technology Inventory, a product of the non-profit’s Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero program. Launched in March of this year, ZETI is an interactive online tool that tracks the growth of ZE commercial vehicles globally, as measured by model availability.

“The 2020 growth curve can be tracked to a number of factors – the biggest one being demand,” Dr. Cristiano Façanha, Drive to Zero’s Global Director, said in a virtual press briefing Tuesday. “Local, regional and state governments as well as corporate innovators have set strong commitments for fleet electrification and manufacturers want to supply the vehicles they require.”

UPS is one of those organizations supporting sustainable ZE vehicles being available for purchase and deployment, Calstart said.