Washington’s current low- and zero-emission vehicle standards don't include purchasing requirements. However, they will gradually shift the types of new vehicles available for sale in our state, which could affect fleet operators.
Large fleet operators were also required to disclose information about the medium- and heavy-duty vehicles they use at the end of 2023. We’re now analyzing the data, and we’ll publish a report with our findings. This information will help the state design programs that assist fleet owners and operators with electrification and transitioning to less-polluting technologies.
Frequently asked questions
All new internal combustion engine vehicles available for sale in Washington must meet LEV standards. So as long as you're purchasing from a dealer or manufacturer in Washington, 100% of your options will meet LEV standards. This may not be the case for new combustion engine vehicles purchased out of state, unless that state has adopted the same LEV standards as Washington. However, new combustion engine vehicles that don't meet LEV standards can't be registered in Washington, even if they're purchased out of state.
Under medium- and heavy-duty LEV standards, manufacturers are allowed to sell some new engines and vehicles that have been certified to older standards, as long as they offset emissions in other ways. So smaller quantities of these “legacy” engines and vehicles will still be available for purchase and able to be registered.
We’ll provide further guidance on legacy sales and registration before these standards take effect in 2026.
Fleet owners will see more and more light-, medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs available for purchase each year because manufacturers are required to increase ZEV sales as a percentage of new vehicle sales through 2035.
100% of the new light-duty vehicles sold by manufacturers to dealers and fleets in Washington must meet ZEV standards in model year 2035 and beyond. 40-75% of the new medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sold by manufacturers to dealers and fleets in Washington must qualify as ZEVs or plug-in hybrids by model year 2035.
No. Current regulations require manufacturers to sell ZEVs, but they don't place any purchasing requirements on fleets. Some fleets will adopt ZEVs before others in Washington state, depending on their business needs.
We encourage fleets to begin planning for ZEV adoption. Manufacturers are offering more models each year, and switching can yield significant cost savings. Planning early also gives you time to build out necessary charging infrastructure.
No. Current regulations require manufacturers to sell ZEVs in Washington, but they don't place any purchasing requirements on fleets.
The California Air Resources Board has a list of medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs that have been certified for sale in California, and this list applies to Washington, too. We encourage fleets to work with their dealer and manufacturer of choice to learn about available ZEV options.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will begin offering technical assistance to help fleets plan for medium- and heavy-duty ZEV adoption in early 2025.
We’ll share more information once WSDOT’s resources are available.
Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that any new combustion engine vehicles being sold in Washington can be registered in our state. Manufacturers submit their vehicles to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for certification, and then CARB issues executive orders that allow the vehicle to be registered in all states that have adopted California’s low-emission vehicle standards, including Washington.
The Department of Licensing (DOL) is responsible for administering laws relating to the licensing and regulation of vehicles and vehicle operators, dealers, and manufacturers. Any new vehicles sold by Washington dealers will have already been evaluated by manufacturers, dealers, and DOL and approved for sale and registration within the state. But it's the buyer's responsibility to make sure any vehicles bought from out-of-state dealers or by individuals is certified to California emission standards by reviewing the vehicle’s Vehicle Emissions Control Information (VECI) label in the engine compartment.
More information can be found on the emission requirement webpage. We'll continue to partner closely with DOL to support their work.
Medium- and heavy-duty ZEV standards were designed around depot charging only so that existing operations and routes could be feasible under these standards, even in the absence of public charging infrastructure.
Fleets still have the ability to choose which routes and payloads work best with ZEVs, but the state is continuing to invest in charging infrastructure to support the adoption of medium- and heavy-duty electric and hybrid vehicles.
The federal government recently announced awards under the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program for Washington, Oregon, and California to build an electric truck charging corridor along the entirety of I-5, and we’ve secured over $55 million in state and federal funding to electrify drayage trucks operating in and around ports.
Washington’s Transportation Electrification Strategy closely examined Washington’s trucking fleet to determine a feasible path toward electrification. They found that in many cases, total cost of ownership for a zero-emission truck is lower than for a comparable internal combustion engine truck because of lower fuel costs and maintenance costs. This financial benefit is expected to grow over time as truck and refueling infrastructure costs decline. And for zero-emission vehicles that still have a higher total cost of ownership than their gas or diesel counterparts, zero-emission options are projected to reach cost parity in the early 2030s, depending on vehicle type.
To help with the upfront costs, the state has provided over $130 million in funding from the Climate Commitment Act to establish a program to help truck owners cover the costs of electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and charging infrastructure. The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) expects to make these funds available in early 2025. Additionally, the federal government provides tax credits of up to $40,000 for commercial ZEVs, tax credits for charging infrastructure, and has provided other funding programs, such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus program.
