CALSTART

What CALSTART does

CALSTART is a U.S.-based nonprofit clean transportation industry consortium founded in 1992 and headquartered in Pasadena, California, with additional offices in New York, Michigan, Colorado, Florida, and Europe. The organization operates a 210+ member company network spanning startups to Fortune 100 firms (including Ford, Walmart, Amazon, GM, BYD, Southern California Edison, and Electrify America) and serves as a strategic broker that bridges government policy with industry action. Its core mission is accelerating zero-emission commercial vehicle adoption across light-duty vehicles, trucks, buses, infrastructure, and innovative mobility segments.

CALSTART's revenue mechanics rest on two primary streams: recurring membership fees from industry members and managed-services revenue from administering government incentive programs. The organization currently manages over $1 billion in vehicle incentive and technical assistance programs, most notably California's Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) and the PowerForward Battery Manufacturing Grant Program funded by the California Energy Commission. Its proprietary data products include biannual Zeroing in on ZETs reports (tracking 72,309+ cumulative zero-emission truck deployments), annual Zeroing in on ZEBs reports (tracking 8,100+ transit buses), the National Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Infrastructure Map, and the ZETI global vehicle tracking tool. CALSTART also coordinates the Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero campaign and the Global MOU on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, which 40+ nations have signed.

The organization generates measurable industry outcomes including 21% global truck and bus sales coverage by Global MOU signatories, 96 zero-emission MHDV models tracked in 2025 (up 18.6% from 2022), and HVIP having redeemed over $1 billion in vouchers. CALSTART's go-to-market combines community-led consortium dynamics with event-driven engagement (California Electric Fest, Transition to Zero podcast), and it pursues an active policy advocacy agenda at federal and state levels.

Name

CALSTART

Legal name

CALSTART

Website

https://calstart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CALSTART is a Pasadena-based nonprofit clean transportation consortium with 210+ member companies that manages over $1 billion in government incentive programs, produces industry-leading zero-emission vehicle data products, and coordinates global zero-emission vehicle adoption initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CALSTART operates as a membership-based industry consortium with over 210 member companies from startups to Fortune 100 firms, generating revenue through membership fees that provide access to news, industry connections, policy updates, funding opportunities, and exclusive member-only opportunities.
2. Government Program Management: CALSTART manages over $1 billion in vehicle incentive and technical assistance programs including the California HVIP (Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project) and the PowerForward Battery Manufacturing Grant Program funded by the California Energy Commission.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CALSTART is a member-supported nonprofit consortium that delivers market intelligence, technology development and demonstration services, and public-policy advocacy to accelerate the transition of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to clean, zero-emission propulsion. It administers state and multi-state vehicle incentive and voucher programs (including CARB's HVIP), runs technical assistance contracts for the U.S. Department of Energy and NYSERDA, and publishes infrastructure mapping and ZETI data products used by fleets, OEMs, and policymakers worldwide.

Product overview

CALSTART is a clean transportation nonprofit consortium (not a commercial software product company) that provides a portfolio of research reports, data tools, and strategic resources focused on accelerating zero-emission commercial vehicle adoption. The core offerings include the Zeroing in on ZETs and ZEBs research reports, the National Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Infrastructure Map, the ZETI global vehicle tracking tool, and the Phasing in U.S. Charging Infrastructure Strategy. These products serve policymakers, fleet operators, OEMs, and industry stakeholders with data-driven insights and infrastructure planning resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Infrastructure Map An interactive national data product that maps zero-emission charging and refueling infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles across North America. It is used by fleet operators, infrastructure planners, researchers, and government agencies to identify gaps and plan corridor build-out.
• Zero-Emission Technology Inventory (ZETI) A searchable database maintained by CALSTART that inventories commercially available zero-emission truck, bus, and off-road vehicle models along with their specifications and deployments, supporting fleet procurement and market analysis.
• Zeroing in on ZETs Report An annual market intelligence report tracking zero-emission truck deployments, sales, and trends in the medium- and heavy-duty sector, widely cited by OEMs, fleets, and policymakers.
• Zeroing in on ZEBs Report An annual market intelligence report on zero-emission bus deployment and adoption trends in North American transit and shuttle fleets.
• CALSTART Industry Membership Program A tiered industry membership offering for OEMs, suppliers, fleets, utilities, fuel providers, and other stakeholders that convenes 210+ member companies and provides access to market intelligence, policy engagement, and collaboration platforms.
• California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) CALSTART administers this California Air Resources Board program, processing point-of-sale vouchers that lower the purchase price of zero-emission and hybrid trucks and buses for fleets operating in California.
• PowerForward! Battery Manufacturing Grant Program A grant administration program supporting the build-out of U.S. electric vehicle battery manufacturing capacity, administered by CALSTART with funding from the California Energy Commission.
• Drive to Zero Global Campaign A global campaign coordinated by CALSTART that convenes governments, manufacturers, fleets, and infrastructure providers to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission trucks, buses, vans, and off-road equipment worldwide.
• Technology Development and Demonstration Services Hands-on engineering services including zero-emission vehicle technology assessments, validation studies, and multi-stakeholder demonstration projects delivered to member companies and government partners.
• Market Acceleration Services Services that bring together clean transportation buyers and sellers and provide technical assistance to accelerate early market activity for zero-emission vehicles, equipment, fuels, and infrastructure.
• Public Policy Services Policy analysis and advocacy services delivered to member companies and government clients to support the design and implementation of clean transportation policies at the federal, state, and local levels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72,309 cumulative ZET deployments tracked nationwide by December 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Colombia Ministry of TransportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Partnership to develop Ruta-E, a 1,195-kilometer zero-emission freight corridor connecting Bogotá and Cartagena, designed to support over 1,000 battery-electric commercial trucks by 2032. The project includes charging infrastructure along the route.
• Sostenibilidad GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Co-leading the 'Playground de Electromovilidad' initiative in Mexico to accelerate heavy-duty transport electrification. The platform coordinates business decisions for zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
• The Climate GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Co-leading the 'Playground de Electromovilidad' initiative in Mexico alongside Sostenibilidad Global and CALSTART, aimed at reducing upfront cost barriers for electric vehicle adoption.
• Senator Alex Padilla and Rep. Sharice Davids Congressional CoalitioncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 November 2025CALSTART supported a congressional 'Dear Colleague' letter led by Senator Padilla (CA) and Rep. Davids (KS-3) that 90 members of Congress signed, advocating for electrification funding in Surface Transportation Reauthorization.
• Global MOU on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles SignatoriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025CALSTART's Drive to Zero program coordinates the Global MOU, which 40+ nations including Mexico have signed, committing to 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2040 and at least 30% by 2030. Signatories represent 21% of global truck and bus sales.
• 210+ Member CompaniescoreOthersOver 210 member companies including Ford, Walmart, Amazon, GM, BYD, Southern California Edison, Electrify America, and SMUD that participate in the CALSTART consortium to accelerate clean transportation innovation.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): RMI is a clean energy think tank that, like CALSTART, produces cross-sector research, convenes industry, and runs mission-aligned programs to accelerate the energy transition, including heavy-duty transport. Both operate as nonprofit ecosystem-builders rather than product vendors.
• International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT): ICCT is a global nonprofit producing authoritative research and data on clean vehicle policies and emissions, sharing CALSTART's data-driven policy advocacy model focused on zero-emission road transport worldwide.
• Atlas Public Policy: Atlas Public Policy maintains the EV Hub dashboard and state-level transportation electrification data tools, competing directly with CALSTART's Zeroing in on ZETs and ZEBs reports as the leading third-party deployment trackers.
• Veloz: Veloz is a California-based electric transportation nonprofit coalition that convenes automakers, utilities, and consumers for EV adoption — overlapping CALSTART's membership-driven California market acceleration remit and shared consumer/fleet awareness work.
• Forth: Forth (formerly Drive Oregon) is a Pacific Northwest clean transportation nonprofit that advances equitable access to EVs and mobility, comparable to CALSTART's industry consortium model but at smaller geographic scale.

Broad incumbents

• BloombergNEF (BNEF): BNEF is a commercial incumbent producing global energy transition research that competes with CALSTART's Zeroing in on ZETs/ZEBs reports; broader coverage and paid data products position BNEF as the scaled alternative in transportation electrification analysis.

Others

• The Climate Group: The Climate Group is an international nonprofit that convenes governments and corporates on climate action; CALSTART's Global Drive to Zero campaign is already a Co-Lead partner on the Playground de Electromovilidad initiative with The Climate Group, making it a co-convening peer.
• Ceres: Ceres is a nonprofit mobilizing investor and corporate action on climate; CALSTART's federal policy director Levi Kamolnick previously led Ceres work — comparable advocacy infrastructure targeting transportation decarbonization policy.
• Sustainable Freight Roundtable / Drive to Zero signatories: Drive to Zero is CALSTART's own program but integrates 40+ nations and complementary NGOs working to commercialize zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles; multiple international signatories collectively represent a peer ecosystem of national-level conveners.

Regional players

• NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority): NYSERDA operates the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program and is a documented CALSTART program partner/funder; it acts as a state-level public-sector counterpart administering similar zero-emission fleet incentive programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/calstart
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Calstart
• Facebookfacebook.com/CALSTARTHQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calstart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CALSTART