Zero-Emission Truck Shipper-Carrier Alliance Leading Electrification
ZET SCALE (Zero-emission Truck Shipper-Carrier Alliance Leading Electrification) is a flagship initiative led by Smart Freight Centre (SFC) and CALSTART to accelerate the adoption of battery-electric Class 8 trucks in North America by overcoming the primary barrier to scale: vehicle price. The Alliance aims to secure a large-scale U.S. purchase order—up to 10,000 MCS-capable Class 8 battery-electric trucks with a 400-mile range—at a target price below $250,000 per vehicle. This price point enables a three-year payback period (based on total cost of ownership) and unlocks deployment beginning as early as 2026. The volume and timeline provide the demand certainty to trigger supply chain cost reductions, and support forward-pricing from OEMs.
Over 15 major shippers and their primary carriers have already joined ZET SCALE discussions to demonstrate stronger aggregated demand for ZETs, unlock lower prices through supply chain efficiencies and OEM competition, and eliminate or significantly reduce the "EV green premium". Aggregated, certain, and diverse demand enables scale, lowers costs, and shares risk. Shippers benefit from affordable zero-emission road freight, while carriers gain access to discounted trucks, guaranteed volumes, and visibility with a leading group of sustainability-committed shippers.
ZET SCALE is focused on high-priority regions to:
- Enable carriers to target optimal routes that meet shipper needs
- Allow OEMs to concentrate support and maintenance operations
- Maximize charging infrastructure utilization through geographic clustering
Timing is crucial
To date, freight volume data has been collected from over 10 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 later in 2025, followed by procurement and deployment.
Now is the time to get involved
Joining the Alliance now allows your organization to shape its direction, align procurement timelines, and prepare for participation in the RFP.
All individual company data is kept strictly confidential and only shared in aggregate by SFC and CALSTART.
ZET SCALE represents a bold, collaborative approach to accelerating zero-emission road freight—through scale, certainty, and shared leadership.
