U.S.-headquartered businesses have come together to highlight the value of 45W to American jobs, manufacturing and global competitiveness
WASHINGTON D.C., May 07, 2025 – The American Fleet Leadership Coalition, a newly formed group of leading U.S. businesses that are currently benefitting from electric vehicles, announced its launch today. The Coalition is dedicated to urging the 119th Congress to preserve the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act’s 45W Tax Credit – commonly known as the Commercial Clean Vehicle Tax Credit. 45W plays a critical role in supporting the expansion of domestic manufacturing by spurring demand for light, medium, and heavy-duty electric vehicles that save businesses money, create jobs and improve reliability and safety for drivers.
Spearheaded by electrification investor Inspiration Mobility Group, founding members include CALSTART, Electrada, Forum Mobility, GreenPower Motor Company, Harbinger Motors, Highland Fleets, NAFA Fleet Management Association, Orange EV, Synop, Terawatt, Voltera, and WattEV.
“The Commercial Clean Vehicle Tax Credit has already lowered costs and improved vehicle reliability for U.S. businesses while advancing America’s energy independence and the economic competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers and suppliers,” said Josh Green, Founder of the American Fleet Leadership Coalition and CEO of Inspiration Mobility Group. “Repealing 45W, or enacting barriers that render it inaccessible, would slow the domestic economic growth of an important industry poised for massive global expansion, put U.S. manufacturing jobs at risk and increase costs for companies, local governments, religious, educational and non-profit organizations that rely on fleets.”
The American Fleet Leadership Coalition states that 45W is a critical cornerstone of the U.S. economy as it:
- Strengthens the health and growth of the thousands of American businesses using commercial vehicles by lowering fleet and transportation costs while providing a more reliable and safer experience for drivers;
- Supports a made-in-America supply chain that works in tandem with 45X, the manufacturing tax credit, to increase demand for EVs and support key industries with increasing global growth such as automotive manufacturing, battery production, and EV infrastructure;
- Bolsters U.S. energy independence and resiliency by creating a strong national EV industry powered by domestically-produced electricity rather than imported oil, enhancing our energy and national security;
- Enhances U.S. global competitiveness by positioning the United States to continue to lead in clean transportation technologies, including autonomous vehicles, in the face of rapidly growing competition from China, which is currently the world’s leading producer EVs, batteries, and critical minerals.
“The 45W Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit enables American businesses, large and small, to lower costs and electrify fleets between now and 2033. The 45W credit also supports domestic manufacturing for cutting edge technology, helping to keep our economy globally competitive. In short, it’s smart and strategic,” said Trisha Dello Iacono, Head of Policy at CALSTART. “CALSTART is proud to join the American Fleet Leadership Coalition—an extension of our ongoing work with industry leaders—to advocate for the 45W Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit and ensure Congress upholds policies that lower costs, drive investment, and strengthen American energy dominance through a cleaner, more competitive transportation future.”
“The Section 45W tax credit is critical to maintain because US-based fleets will only make scale commitments to zero-emission transportation if total cost of ownership parity with ICE vehicles is visible in the near-term,” said Kevin Kushman, CEO of Electrada. “As an electric fuel solutions provider to fleets making this conversion, Electrada believes 45W serves an important role in moving commercial EVs into the mainstream of fleet logistics.”
“We are collectively developing, deploying, and improving the advanced technology that will reduce the cost per mile to deliver freight – benefiting American truck manufacturers, American fleet operators, and any American that appreciates a lower cost of delivery. 45W is a key bridge to a future of lower emissions, and lower costs,” said Matt LeDucq, CEO of Forum Mobility.
“NAFA, the national association for professional fleet managers, is pleased to be a founding member of the American Fleet Leadership Coalition,” said Michael Parr of HillStaffer, LLC, NAFA’s public policy advocacy lead. “Our members are using a range of technologies and practices to reduce their emissions and improve their cost effectiveness, including the use of electric vehicles. The 45W clean commercial vehicle tax credit helps public and private fleets deliver their critical public safety and commercial services while reducing both their emissions and the total cost of ownership for fleet vehicles.”
“The 45W tax credit is a practical, business-focused policy that enables fleet operators to invest in U.S.-built equipment that delivers real savings. It reduces acquisition barriers and supports the growth of American manufacturing and supply chains,” said Wayne Mathisen, CEO and Co-Founder of Orange EV. “Repealing or limiting 45W would slow the adoption of proven technologies.”
“45W is accelerating innovation across commercial fleets and giving American operators a real competitive edge. Fleets are not only cutting costs– they’re starting to generate new revenue from assets that used to sit idle. That kind of transformation wasn’t possible before, and strong policy will only strengthen it,” said Gagan Dhillon, CEO of Synop.
“The 45W tax credit is a practical, high-impact policy that enables fleet operators to invest in next-generation vehicles while driving U.S. manufacturing, job creation, and supply chain resilience,” said Neha Palmer, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Terawatt Infrastructure. “Continued certainty around the future of 45W will unlock additional private-sector investment and strengthen America’s global competitiveness. Terawatt supports 45W as a smart, strategic tool for domestic economic and industrial leadership.”
“WattEV fully supports the 45W tax credit as a critical driver for accelerating the adoption of zero-emission commercial vehicles. As a provider of electric truck stop infrastructure and a pioneer in electric truck-as-a-service (TaaS) solutions, WattEV is building the foundation for a cleaner freight ecosystem,” said Salim Youssefzadeh, CEO of WattEV. “By lowering the cost barrier for fleet operators to adopt electric trucks, the 45W incentive directly supports our mission to deploy scalable, end-to-end electrification solutions that reduce emissions, improve air quality, and strengthen domestic clean energy supply chains.”
With roughly 40 million commercial vehicles in service in the U.S., commercial fleets play a critical role in the daily operations of a wide range of businesses, both large and small; and due to their predictable routes and data-driven decision-making (prioritizing cost, reliability, and safety), commercial fleets are increasingly interested in adopting electric vehicles. For example, a 2024 study by Cox Automotive found that 87% of commercial fleets planned to add EVs in the following 5 years. At the same time, estimates show that repealing 45W and other EV industry investments would lead to the loss of approximately 130,000 direct jobs nationwide by 2030 across the EV supply chain, and an estimated additional 310,000 in indirect sectors.
To learn more about the American Fleet Leadership Coalition and the benefits of 45W for U.S. businesses, visit https://www.americanfleetleadership.com.
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