Pennsylvania Clean Trucks Program

The report analyzes two policy scenarios for Pennsylvania's medium- and heavy-duty (M/HD) vehicle fleet: the adoption of California's Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule and a more aggressive '100 x 40 ZEV + Clean Grid' scenario. Both scenarios project significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and particulate matter (PM) emissions, leading to substantial public health benefits and net societal gains. While initial costs for fleets are higher, the report finds that ZEVs will reach lifetime cost parity with combustion vehicles as purchase prices fall and fuel/maintenance savings accumulate. The transition is projected to generate positive macroeconomic effects, including net national job gains and increased GDP by 2035, and could potentially lower electricity rates for residential and commercial customers due to increased utility net revenue from EV charging.

• The Pennsylvania M/HD fleet, comprising approximately 799,072 vehicles, is a disproportionate source of pollution, contributing 33 percent of all on-road GHG emissions, 62 percent of NOx, and 52 percent of PM in 2022.
• Adopting the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule would result in cumulative net societal benefits of $25 billion through 2050, including 140 fewer premature deaths and 131 fewer hospital visits.
• The most aggressive scenario (100 x 40 ZEV + Clean Grid) projects cumulative net societal benefits exceeding $35.2 billion through 2050, with 308 fewer premature deaths and 287 fewer hospital visits.
• By 2050, the 100 x 40 ZEV + Clean Grid scenario is estimated to reduce annual M/HD fleet NOx and PM emissions by 84 percent and 82 percent, respectively, compared to the baseline.
• ZEVs are projected to reach lifetime cost parity with combustion vehicles, with the average ZEV purchased between 2027 and 2040 producing between $9,000 and nearly $17,000 in discounted lifetime net savings.
• Increased utility net revenue from M/HD EV charging could lower average electricity rates in Pennsylvania by 3.52 percent under the 100 x 40 ZEV scenario by 2050, saving the average household $116.59 per year.
• The transition to ZEVs is projected to have positive national macroeconomic effects by 2035, with the 100 x 40 ZEV scenario resulting in 5,794 net job gains and a $964 million increase in GDP.
• Significant infrastructure investment is required; under the 100 x 40 ZEV scenario, fleet owners would need to invest an average of $231 million annually in depot charging, while public/private investment in the public network would average $140.6 million annually.

APA

Slawsky, L., Seamonds, D., DeBaecke, R., Freeman, M., & Patkunas, N. (2023). Pennsylvania Clean Trucks Program. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/pa-clean-trucks-report.pdf

Chicago

Slawsky, Lauren, David Seamonds, Riley DeBaecke, Miranda Freeman, and Neah Patkunas. Pennsylvania Clean Trucks Program. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2023. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/pa-clean-trucks-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Slawsky |first1=Lauren |last2=Seamonds |first2=David |last3=DeBaecke |first3=Riley |last4=Freeman |first4=Miranda |last5=Patkunas |first5=Neah |title=Pennsylvania Clean Trucks Program |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=September 2023 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/pa-clean-trucks-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{slawsky2023pennsylvania, author = {Slawsky, Lauren and Seamonds, David and DeBaecke, Riley and Freeman, Miranda and Patkunas, Neah}, title = {{Pennsylvania Clean Trucks Program}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/pa-clean-trucks-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }