NYS has installed “zero” electric truck chargers ahead of January 2025 “Advanced Clean Truck” regulations

The state of New York has not installed a single electric semi truck charging station ahead of its January 2025 “Advanced Clean Truck” regulations. 

The Trucking Association of New York and other trucking industry leaders met up on Thursday, October 17th to discuss the upcoming rule set to go into effect in January 2025. The rule was adopted in 2021 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) and will require a percentage of all new commercial vehicles sold in the state to be zero-emissions vehicles. 

According to… truck drivers, trucking companies, and trucking organizations say they have not been given sufficient support to accommodate the transition, and want the state to consider the ruling. 

A representative of Utica Mack, a truck dealer in New York, contacted the Thruway Authority to inquire about electric truck chargers, and received a disheartening answer. 

“I told them I knew they were completing their $450 million investment on their 27 service plazas,” Utica Mack Representative Tom Heiland said. “I asked how many had heavy-duty charging stations and he told me that there were 130 charging stations for cars. I asked how many for heavy-duty electric trucks and he told me there were zero.”

“We do not have infrastructure in the State of New York to support the use of these vehicles. The average range of use on a heavy electric truck is about 280 miles and since the rule was adopted in 2021 New York has not installed a single heavy duty charger,”Kendra Hems, President of the Trucking Association of New York said to…. 

The NYDEC released the following statement about the issue: 

“New York’s adoption of the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule is one of several steps the state is taking to advance the transition to a cleaner, healthier, and more efficient transportation future by cutting greenhouse gases, reducing harmful pollution, and promoting the growth of the green transportation industry. In addition to providing manufactures with significant flexibility in implementing the original rule, DEC will also be proposing new regulations that include more flexibilities and would not require compliance determinations until March 2029. This extended timeframe would provide medium-and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers additional time to achieve compliance, either by selling additional ZEVs or purchasing credits from other manufacturers. DEC is communicating with members of the legislature and other key stakeholders regarding the implementation of ACT to address concerns and counter misinformation.”