A California bill designed to bring more transparency to electric-truck pricing — and potentially make state incentives more effective for fleets — is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom after winning approval from both houses of the State Legislature.

SB 1213 would require truck manufacturers to disclose vehicle pricing information as a condition of participating in California zero-emissions incentive programs such as the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, better known simply as HVIP.

For fleets considering battery-electric trucks, the legislation could provide something that has often been hard to get: better information about what comparable trucks actually cost and how much of that cost is being offset by taxpayer-funded incentives.

The measure comes as California fleets continue to face a significant price premium for battery-electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks compared with diesel equipment, even as the state pushes fleets toward zero-emission vehicles.

Electric-Truck Prices Remain a Fleet Hurdle

Research from the International Council on Clean Transportation found that U.S. prices for smaller battery-electric commercial vehicles have generally been declining, but the same has not been true for larger trucks.

For Class 6 and heavier battery-electric trucks, prices have increased more often than decreased, according to an ICCT analysis of real-world commercial-vehicle pricing.

The median price of a battery-electric Class 8 tractor in the United States increased 27% between model year 2020 and the period covered by the study, including a 40% increase between 2020 and 2021.

European battery-electric commercial-vehicle prices, meanwhile, have generally declined.

ICCT also noted that real-world commercial-vehicle pricing is not readily advertised, making it harder for fleets and financing institutions to compare vehicles and make purchasing decisions.

That lack of transparency is one of the issues SB 1213 is intended to address.

What SB 1213 Would Change for Fleets

The bill, introduced by Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes, would require manufacturers that receive support through HVIP and other state incentive programs to provide vehicle pricing information to the state.

Supporters argue that the information would allow California agencies to better evaluate whether incentive dollars are reducing fleet purchase costs or simply being absorbed into vehicle pricing.

That could become increasingly important as California tries to stretch limited incentive funding across a growing number of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle purchases.

SB 1213 has moved through the Legislature without opposition, receiving unanimous approval in committees and on both chamber floors. The Senate gave final concurrence to the measure August 30, sending it to Newsom.

Long Beach Port Among Bill Supporters

The bill has received support from the Port of Long Beach and other business and clean-transportation groups.

In a letter to Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Lori Wilson, Port of Long Beach CEO Noel Hacegaba said the measure would help state agencies make incentive dollars go further toward California’s emissions-reduction goals.

“More effective incentives are essential to ensuring that public investments deliver real value for fleets, communities, and taxpayers,” he wrote.

The legislation also arrives as fleets face renewed concern about diesel costs and operating expenses, adding another consideration to the already complicated economics of replacing diesel trucks with battery-electric models.

Craig Segall, a former California Air Resources Board official and supporter of the legislation, said greater pricing transparency could help lower costs while accelerating adoption of cleaner freight equipment.

For fleets, however, the immediate effect would be more basic: better visibility into what electric trucks cost and whether California’s substantial purchase incentives are actually translating into lower prices at the point of sale.