Zero-Emission Truck Shipper-Carrier Alliance Leading Electrification
ZET SCALE aims to unlock large-scale zero-emission truck deployment in North America by coordinating a joint purchase of up to 10,000 MCS-capable Class 8 battery-electric trucks with a 400-mile range and a target price to enable a three-year payback period (based on total cost of ownership). Deployment is expected to begin as early as 2026.
ZET SCALE aligns shippers, carriers, OEMs, charging and finance providers through a coordinated procurement process that reduces costs and risk.
- Shippers commit freight volumes with diesel-comparable economics, creating credible demand signal for electric trucks while eliminating or greatly reducing need for EV green premium.
- Carriers respond to shipper demand, purchasing or leasing electric trucks from selected OEMs through a competitive RFP, contingent on performance, economics, and timing requirements.
- OEMs gain a large, predictable order book and incentive to forward price.
- Charging and finance providers enable deployment through solutions backed by demand scale and utilization certainty.
Benefits Include
- Lower truck prices through aggregated demand and OEM competition, unlocking cost parity in priority lanes and geographies.
- Geographic concentration around 5-10 freight hubs with high freight volume and good economics. This ensures lower charging costs through better infrastructure utilization, lower operational costs through route optimization and less empty mileage, and lower maintenance costs through streamlined OEM maintenance.
- Reduced risk for carriers, shippers, charging, and finance providers via demand certainty, scale, and diversity, as well as shared infrastructure.
Timing is crucial
To date, freight volume data has been collected from over 11 shippers, responses received from 8 OEMs with production scaling capabilities and directional pricing at this scale, and engagement is underway with carriers, infrastructure providers, and investors. A formal RFP to OEMs is planned for early 2026, followed by procurement and deployment.
Now is the time to get involved
Joining the Alliance now allows your organization to shape its direction, align geographic priorities and procurement timelines, and prepare for participation in the RFP. All individual company data are kept strictly confidential and only shared in aggregate.
ZET SCALE is a partnership between SFC and CALSTART.
