Electric Trucks in California: Rollback, Mandates, and Incentives

California’s rules for electric trucks changed significantly in 2025. Private fleets are no longer required to buy zero-emission trucks on any set schedule, drayage mandates have been repealed, and only state and local government fleets still face mandatory purchase requirements.¹ The manufacturer-side rule is a different story: truck makers must still sell a rising percentage of zero-emission models in California each year.² The state’s broader goal of a full transition to zero-emission trucks and buses by 2045 where feasible remains in place, supported by vouchers, tax credits, and infrastructure grants for operators who choose to switch voluntarily.³

What the 2025 Rollback Changed for Private Fleets

In September 2025, CARB’s board voted to repeal the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) requirements for private high-priority fleets, federal fleets, and drayage trucks.⁴ The vote followed CARB’s January 2025 withdrawal of its Clean Air Act waiver request, which it filed with the EPA. Without federal authorization under Section 209, California could not enforce fleet purchase mandates against private entities for standards beyond federal requirements.⁵

If you operate a private fleet with $50 million or more in gross revenue, or run 50 or more trucks over 8,500 pounds, you are no longer legally required to buy zero-emission trucks on any schedule. The same is true for drayage operators, who had faced the fastest timeline under the original rule. CARB’s resolution specifically repealed the drayage requirements in Section 2014 and the high-priority and federal fleet requirements in Section 2015 of the California Code of Regulations.¹

Who Still Has to Buy Zero-Emission Trucks

State and local government agencies are the one group still subject to mandatory ZEV purchase schedules. CARB retained and revised the government fleet provisions in Sections 2013 through 2013.7 of the California Code of Regulations, and government fleets can choose between two compliance pathways.¹

The ZEV Purchase Schedule

Under the default pathway, government agencies must buy zero-emission vehicles whenever they add new trucks. The September 2025 amendments extended the 50% ZEV purchase requirement through 2030 and allowed small fleets, along with those in designated counties, to delay purchasing any ZEVs until 2030. Existing combustion-engine vehicles can stay in service until the end of their useful life, then must be replaced with ZEVs.

The ZEV Milestones Option

Instead of the purchase schedule, government fleets can opt into the ZEV Milestones Option, which sets percentage-of-fleet targets by vehicle group rather than requiring every new purchase to be zero-emission.⁶ The milestones are staggered by vehicle type:

Group 1 (box trucks, vans, buses, yard tractors, light-duty delivery vehicles): 10% ZEV by 2025, scaling to 100% by 2035
Group 2 (work trucks, day cab tractors, three-axle buses): 10% ZEV by 2027, scaling to 100% by 2039
Group 3 (sleeper cab tractors and specialty vehicles): 10% ZEV by 2030, scaling to 100% by 2042

What Manufacturers Still Have to Sell

The Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation survived the regulatory rollback. ACT received its EPA waiver in April 2023 and continues to require manufacturers who certify Class 2b through Class 8 combustion-engine trucks to sell a rising share of zero-emission models in California each year.² It does not tell fleets what to buy. It does mean electric trucks keep showing up on dealer lots in rising numbers.

CARB divides covered vehicles into three groups with their own escalating ZEV sales percentages:

Class 2b–3 (8,501–14,000 lbs): 7% in model year 2025, 10% in 2026, 15% in 2027
Class 4–8 (14,001 lbs and above): 11% in 2025, 13% in 2026, 20% in 2027
Class 7–8 (26,001 lbs and above): 7% in 2025, 10% in 2026, 15% in 2027

Percentages continue climbing in later model years. Manufacturers meet their obligations through a credit system tied to total vehicles sold, and a manufacturer that exceeds its quota in one year can bank credits for future use or sell them to other manufacturers.

Exemptions and Extensions for Covered Fleets

Even for government fleets that are still subject to the mandate, CARB built in several exemptions to prevent compliance from becoming impractical.

Vehicle unavailability: If no ZEV exists in the configuration you need, you can request an exemption to buy a combustion-engine vehicle.
Daily usage: If available ZEVs cannot meet a vehicle’s daily operational range, an exemption is available once at least 10% of your fleet is already zero-emission.
Backup vehicles: Vehicles driven fewer than 1,000 miles per year and designated as backups can be excluded from compliance calculations, with annual renewal through TRUCRS.
Mutual aid: Agencies with declared-emergency mutual aid agreements can exclude up to 25% of their fleet once 25% is already ZEV.
Non-repairable vehicles: A vehicle destroyed in a catastrophic event can be immediately replaced with a used combustion-engine vehicle of the same type.

Each exemption requires documentation filed through TRUCRS, and purchases made under an exemption must be reported within 30 days of receiving the vehicle.⁶

Utility power delivery is one of the most common bottlenecks. If your local utility cannot supply enough power to support the required number of ZEVs at your site, you can apply for a compliance extension of up to three years, with a possible two-year renewal. You need documentation from the utility at least one year before the compliance date, and the extension application must be submitted to CARB at least 45 days before the deadline. This pathway sunsets on January 1, 2030.⁷

Incentives for Voluntary Buyers

Private fleets no longer face a mandate, but the money available for going electric is substantial. State vouchers, federal tax credits, and infrastructure grants can together cover a large share of the price premium over a diesel equivalent.

HVIP Vouchers

The California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) provides point-of-sale discounts through participating dealers. Voucher amounts vary by vehicle class and fleet type:⁸

Class 2b (8,501–10,000 lbs): $7,500 base, $9,000 for small businesses
Class 3 (10,001–14,000 lbs): $15,000 base, $40,000 for small businesses
Class 4–5 (14,001–19,500 lbs): $60,000 base, $130,000 for small businesses
Class 6–7 (19,501–33,000 lbs): $85,000 base, $160,000 for small businesses
Class 8 (33,001+ lbs): $120,000 base, $330,000 for small businesses
Class 8 fuel cell: $240,000 base, $420,000 for small businesses

Drayage and refuse trucks receive higher vouchers than standard trucks in the same weight class, with Class 8 drayage vouchers starting at $150,000. School buses and public transit buses have their own enhanced tiers. For privately owned vehicles, HVIP caps combined public incentives at 90% of the vehicle purchase price, excluding taxes and fees.⁹

Federal Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit

The federal Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit under Internal Revenue Code Section 45W is available to businesses and tax-exempt organizations buying qualifying zero-emission vehicles. The credit equals the lesser of 30% of the vehicle’s cost basis compared to a similar combustion-engine model, or a flat cap based on weight:¹⁰

Under 14,000 lbs GVWR: maximum credit of $7,500
14,000 lbs GVWR and above: maximum credit of $40,000

For taxable businesses, the credit is nonrefundable and only offsets taxes owed. Unused amounts carry forward as a general business credit.¹¹

EnergIIZE Infrastructure Grants

The California Energy Commission’s EnergIIZE program provides grants for charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure to support medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles. The Fast Track 2025 round made $30 million available, with individual project caps of $3 million to $5 million depending on whether the site qualifies as an equity community.¹²

Who Pays for Charging Infrastructure

Depot installations typically mix Level 2 chargers for overnight use with high-powered DC fast chargers (50 kW to 350 kW) for quicker turnarounds. Coordinate with your utility early. Large depot projects often need distribution upgrades that can take a year or more.

California’s EV Infrastructure Rules (Rule 29 for PG&E and SCE territories, Rule 45 for SDG&E), adopted under AB 841, shift most of the cost of utility-side electrical upgrades to ratepayers rather than the fleet operator. They cover service line extensions and distribution infrastructure on the utility’s side of the meter for commercial and industrial customers installing separately metered EV charging.¹³ You still pay for equipment on your side of the meter, including chargers, panels, and site wiring.

Reporting and Penalties

Government fleets subject to ACF must report their California fleet information through the Truck Regulation Upload, Compliance and Reporting System (TRUCRS). Fleet owners have to keep vehicle information current and identify which regulation applies. CARB cannot determine compliance if the data in the system is out of date.¹⁴

Violations of CARB emission-related regulations carry civil penalties of up to $37,500 per violation under California Health and Safety Code Section 43016, with inflation adjustments based on the California Consumer Price Index.¹⁵ For fleet rules, penalties are calculated per vehicle, per day, so noncompliance across a large fleet can add up fast. Keeping TRUCRS records current and filing for exemptions before deadlines pass is the most straightforward way to stay clear of enforcement.

1
California Air Resources Board. Resolution 25-9
2
California Air Resources Board. Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation Summary
3
California Air Resources Board. Medium- and Heavy-Duty Fleet Zero-Emission Vehicle Purchasing Support (SB 372)
4
California Air Resources Board. CARB Adds Flexibility to Truck Fleet Requirements
5
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. CARB ACF Waiver Withdrawal Letter
6
California Air Resources Board. Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation Exemptions and Extensions Overview
7
California Air Resources Board. Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation – Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Delay Extension
8
California HVIP. Funding Updates – Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project
9
California HVIP. HVIP Implementation Manual
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S.C. 45W – Credit for Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles
11
Internal Revenue Service. Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit
12
California Energy Commission. EnergIIZE Fast Track 2025 Fact Sheet
13
California Public Utilities Commission. Interconnection and Energization Overview of Rules
14
California Air Resources Board. High Priority and State and Local Government Fleet Reporting Guidance
15
California Legislative Information. Health and Safety Code HSC 43016