California has set goals for transitioning the freight sector to near-zero-emission and zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). California offers several incentive programs to encourage adoption of ZEVs, but purchase decisions are driven by complex factors beyond simple purchase price. Understanding the behaviors and attitudes of freight stakeholders toward ZEVs can inform the design of more effective incentive programs to meet California’s goals. Researchers at the University of California, Davis deployed a stated-preference survey of fleet and carrier companies to collect information about vehicle purchase preferences and how they might be influenced by various incentive programs. This policy brief summarizes the findings from that research and provides policy implications.

Key words: freight, efficiency, electric vehicle (EV), emissions