Virginia has joined a multistate agreement that charges forward with plans for all new trucks and buses sold in the commonwealth to be electric and zero-emission by 2050, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.
The agreement pledges to speed up the transition to electric vehicles so that 30% of new trucks and buses sold in those states will be electric and zero-emission by 2030.
The Multi-State Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding, is signed by 15 other states and D.C.
“One of the best ways to reduce transportation pollution is to plug our transportation system into our electric grid — this is vital to maintaining Virginia’s place as an economic, cultural and environmental leader,” Northam said in a news release from the Electrification Coalition.
Northam announced his decision to join the agreement at an online event hosted by the Electrification Coalition.
The coalition sent a letter signed by 47 businesses asking Virginia to join the agreement in April. Some of the businesses who signed the letter include Amply, EVgo, Mack, Proterra, Rivian, Siemens, Volvo Group North America, Nestlé USA, Sonny Merryman and more than 30 small businesses.
Pollutants from motor vehicles can can cause asthma, chronic bronchitis, heart attacks and lung cancer, the news release said.
Low-income and minority communities are more likely to live near highways, which are major sources of pollution from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
The American Lung Association estimates that transitioning to electric vehicles by 2050 would avoid 6,300 premature deaths and 93,000 heart attacks, and avoid 416,000 lost work days.
“Over the past four years, we’ve been ranked among the top states in the policies and actions we’ve taken to advance electric transportation,” Northam said.
“We’ve dedicated funding to communities burdened by pollution. As a doctor, I know all too well how tackling pollution isn’t just a good climate choice — it’s an investment in public health.”
The U.S. is the top consumer of petroleum worldwide, and transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., according to the news release.