The CALSTART team, in coordination with its 160+ member companies, worked hard to achieve some major accomplishments in 2016. Below is a summary of the top 11 (apologies to David Letterman – we just couldn’t not mention the 11th)

Passage of Major Climate Protection Legislation in California
CALSTART organized and rallied clean transportation technology industry support for the successful passage of Senate Bill 32 that extended California’s climate program and established strong goals for 2030.

Multi-Year Funding for Low or No Emission Buses
CALSTART helped lead an industry coalition that secured $55 million in annual funding for the procurement of Low or No Emission buses in the 5-year federal transportation bill.

Major New Funding for Low Carbon Transportation
Working in partnership with others, CALSTART got the California State legislature to approve $335 million in new funding for low carbon transportation, including incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles and near-zero emission medium- and heavy-duty natural gas vehicles.

Secured Enactment of New Federal Rule to Boost Truck and Bus Efficiency
By conducting and publishing key reports and analysis, CALSTART worked with industry and others to secure enactment of the second phase of national rules that will result in more efficient and lower greenhouse gas emitting medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

Protected Major Policy Under Attack
CALSTART played a lead role in organizing industry support to defend and maintain the Low Carbon Fuel Standard LCFS) in California – a centerpiece of the Golden State’s climate policy and an example that other states and provinces are already following.

Supporting EV Market Growth in New York
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority gave CALSTART a major award for expanding the amount of chargers offered in workplaces.

Increased Clean Transportation Funding in San Joaquin Valley
CALSTART launched a new office in the San Joaquin Valley, from which we developed project concepts and built successful teams resulting in more than $12 million in awards for clean transportation projects. The region has some of the worst air pollution in the nation.

US – China Bilateral Agreement
CALSTART developed a concept and provided support for an official June 2016 announcement of a bilateral agreement between the US and China to participate in the Race to Zero Emissions – a friendly competition to encourage cities in both countries to adopt zero emission buses.

Largest In-Use Truck Data Gathering Program
With funding from the California Department of Transportation and Cambridge Systematics, CALSTART began a process to  equip up to 750 trucks in California with on-board data loggers – enabling the state to collect data to develop a more comprehensive understanding of truck travel patterns and usage.

Rising Membership
CALSTART membership rose by 7 percent – one of our best years ever.

John Boesel, President & CEO