Truck dealers tell Vermont committee Advanced Clean Trucks rules are premature, cite costs and charging gaps

Truck dealers, fleet operators and industry representatives told the Vermont House Transportation Committee on March 20, 2025, that the state's adoption of California-style Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) and related low- and zero-emission vehicle rules is moving faster than vehicle and charging technology, increasing costs and risking service disruptions.

The witnesses — including dealers who sell both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles and operators of local trucking firms — urged lawmakers to pause or delay the rules to allow more time for infrastructure, battery range and vehicle applications to mature. "I believe the mandate is counterproductive," said Mark Alderman, principal owner and dealer operator of Alderman Chevrolet GMC and Alderman's Toyota in Rutland.

The dealers described multiple, interlocking problems that they say will affect customers and state revenue: limited vehicle availability for compliance states, much higher purchase and installation costs for heavy-duty electric tractors and depot chargers, substantially shorter operating ranges for current heavy-duty battery vehicles, and large additional dealer expenses while unsold inventory accumulates.

"The cost of one of these trucks, just one tractor, is $560,000," said Brent Dragon, a dealer with Charley Boys Freightliner Western Star. Dragon told the committee that his dealership is installing three three‑phase chargers at a cost of roughly $600,000 to meet…