In Illinois, we see the impacts of extreme heat everywhere from our agricultural areas to the heat islands in our cities. Extreme rainfall events have become common, but are often paired with drought because of the soil’s inability to retain the massive amount of water it receives in a short time. Warmer winters have increased the impact of vector-borne diseases, as the habitat for ticks and mosquitoes expands ever Northward – all due to climate change.

Trucks, buses, and delivery vans are a leading source of air and climate pollution, releasing much more than their fair share, which means they’re a great place to focus the climate-friendly transition to electric vehicles! Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles put out nearly a quarter of total climate pollution from transportation, yet they only comprise 7 percent of all vehicles on the road in the U.S. 

Electric truck technology is ready, so we need to speed up the replacement of diesel and gas trucks with electric vehicles. Illinois needs to make sure zero-emission vehicles are available for fleets, businesses, governments and others who want to transition while ensuring new diesel vehicles are cleaner going forward.