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The future of clean freight is arriving at the Port of Newark.Rutgers University’s Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) announced a $13 million award from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to launch a groundbreaking hydrogen truck pilot. Working alongside project partners Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), Hyundai Motor America, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), Rutgers will deploy six hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks to serve drayage operations at one of the busiest container ports in the United States.

As we step into 2026, the zero-emission transportation industry is poised for meaningful progress — but not without challenges. Over the past year, operators, OEMs, and stakeholders navigated shifting federal priorities, uncertainty around tariffs, fluctuations in federal grant funding, and market instability. While these obstacles have tested the industry, they also highlight the importance of strategic planning, collaboration, and adaptability. Aligning projects with Administration priorities, such as American energy independence and cost reductions through efficiency, remains critical for project success as we work toward a cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable transportation future.

Transfort, the public transportation provider for the City of Fort Collins, Colorado, has reduced fuel and maintenance costs per vehicle mile for its battery electric buses (BEBs) by 50 percent, driven primarily by fuel savings and more effective charge management. The results demonstrate how zero-emission transit can deliver both environmental and economic benefits when paired with careful operational planning.

Electric school buses offer cleaner air for students, reduced operating costs for districts, and long-term climate and workforce benefits. Yet most U.S. school buses still run on diesel. Achieving full electrification will require coordinated action across utilities, manufacturers, school districts, technical advisors, financing institutions, and federal, state, and local officials. The newly released Roadmap to 100: Electrifying the Full US School Bus Fleet, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Center for Transportation and the Environment outlines the barriers slowing adoption and the solutions that can unlock progress at scale.

On November 20, 2025, the Federal Transit Administration announced over $2 billion in funding for the Low or No Emission Vehicle (Low-No) and the Bus and Bus Facilities discretionary funding programs. This funding will support over 160 transit projects across 45 states and Washington, D.C. CTE is proud to share that six partner agencies that CTE supported on their Low-No applications received funding—a nearly 50% success rate for CTE-supported applications overall. We are thrilled to be able to continue supporting transit agencies in accessing grant funds from federal and state programs. 

Universities across the country are embracing the call to reduce emissions, respond to student and faculty demand for more sustainable campuses, and enhance the overall campus experience. One of the most effective ways to achieve these goals is by transitioning campus fleets to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), thus creating cleaner, quieter, and more resilient transportation on campus.

Broome County Transit (BC Transit) celebrated the arrival of its first six battery electric buses (BEBs) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 14. Manufactured by GILLIG, the zero-emission buses will begin carrying riders this month, marking the start of a cleaner, quieter era of public transit in Broome County. Supported by nearly $11 million in competitive federal grant funding and state-level investment, the new buses are part of a larger effort to bring 13 battery electric buses to the BC Transit fleet by 2027. These vehicles will replace older diesel models, improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and lowering operating noise across the community.