Cal Fleet Advisor to assist in truck fleet zero-emission transition

CALSTART, a nonprofit consortium working to build a clean high-tech transportation industry, launched the Cal Fleet Advisor (CFA) program at the Zero-Emission Truck and Off-Road Equipment Showcase + Ride & Drive last week in Fresno, CA, an event organized by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and CALSTART. The CFA portal and program is designed to inform medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) fleets of the ins and outs of transitioning to zero-emission vehicles and make it easier for them to move to meet the State of California’s ambitious requirements to reduce the sale and use of internal combustion engines.

CFA was developed in partnership with CARB to address confusion experienced by MHD fleet operators as they begin to investigate the numerous resources, options and requirements for making the zero-emissions transition. According to CALSTART, the program will serve as a personal, interactive alternative to traditional formats such as websites, workshops and mailers and provide fleets a single point of contact that will help them navigate the process of identifying, financing, obtaining and deploying zero-emission MHD vehicles for their businesses. It will provide tracking and document collection and filing assistance to fleets, answer questions, offer advice and smooth the process in transitioning to zero-emission technologies. The program will learn about each fleet’s unique profile and tailor a strategy best suited to its needs in the transition, CALSTART said.

While available to all California fleets, CFA is primarily focused on assisting smaller businesses and independent owner-operators, especially underrepresented populations and those in disadvantaged communities, that may lack the time or resources to effectively research and implement the steps required for the transition, CALSTART stated. It is also particularly geared toward the drayage community, which faces more stringent decarbonization timelines than other transportation sectors in the state.

“California has adopted a number of regulations that will require medium- and heavy-duty fleet operators to transition to zero-emission vehicles in the coming years. There are lots of options and rules fleets are faced with, and it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start,” said Clare Bachman, fleet technical assistance project manager at CALSTART. “By adding a human element to information sharing around zero-emission vehicles and funding, we will be able to help fleets determine exactly what they need to do, rather than have them take time out of their busy schedule to do it alone.”