Eaton has shared that it is a key contributor and supporter of the National Zero-Emission Truck (ZET) Coalition’s newly-issued priority federal recommendations.

The ZET Coalition is calling for the establishment of a national point-of-sale incentive program to drive the production of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs), including clean trucks and buses, in the U.S. and recommends federal funding of more than $2 billion for point-of-sale incentives to jumpstart zero-emission truck production during the current economic downturn. The coalition is organized by the clean transportation industry group CALSTART, of which Eaton has been a member since 2005.

Eaton says it has partnered with CALSTART to provide the heavy-duty truck market with a suite of emission-reducing and electric vehicle technologies. Eaton also currently participates in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) SuperTruck program, a partnership between the DOE, truck manufacturers and equipment suppliers seeking to improve freight efficiency more than 100% over an equivalent 2009 model and improve engine brake thermal efficiency performance by 55%.

The ZET Coalition says it believes federal leadership is essential, adding MHDVs contribute approximately 60% of air pollution in major metropolitan areas and account for nearly 22% of energy use in the U.S. transportation sector. According to the coalition, federal investments would enable the production of tens of thousands of zero-emission commercial vehicles by 2025, and would support domestic manufacturing jobs, promote technology leadership and U.S. competitiveness and improve air quality in communities most impacted by heavy-duty vehicle emissions.