Outgoing CEO John Boesel on 2.5 Decades of Policy, Innovation, and Global Competition Shaping the EV Future

John, when you took the helm of CALSTART in 2001, it was a small, California-based organization with fewer than 20 staff. Two and a half decades later, what has CALSTART grown into under your leadership?

We’ve built a remarkable team. Everything CALSTART has accomplished since I became CEO is a direct result of the people and talent here. Over the past 24 years, we’ve grown into a national organization leading the charge to build the U.S. clean transportation industry. I’m proud that the industry has moved from a prototype and demonstration phase to true market acceleration.

We set out to build an industry in California and nationally—and we did. Today, there are roughly 250,000 zero-emission vehicle–related jobs in California, and more EVs are produced here than in any other state. We’ve proven that we can have cleaner air, confront the climate threat, and create good jobs that drive economic growth.

Elaborate on the progress of implementing vehicle emissions standards while managing a wide array of incentive programs for zero-emission EVs, commercial vehicles, and fleets.

When I started, the light-duty EV market was at a low point, so we turned our focus to commercial vehicles. We saw the hybrid technologies coming out of Toyota and Honda and recognized an opportunity to make trucks and buses far more energy efficient.

Since then, the zero-emission commercial vehicle sector has exploded. CALSTART helped make California the first government in the world to regulate zero-emission commercial vehicles and set sales targets. That leadership influenced federal standards and programs to decarbonize the sector.

Just as importantly, in 2018, we launched a global initiative to get other nations to align with California’s goals. Today, 40 countries have signed on through the Drive to Zero program as they are working with us to grow the global zero-emission commercial vehicle market.

In 2007, you told us “the technology is ahead of the policy” and urged lawmakers to “be aggressive, not cautious.” With hindsight, has state policy kept pace with the rapid advancements in technology, or are we still stuck in incrementalism?

I’d say our assessment was accurate, that the technology was rapidly advancing, and we were at a point where stronger regulations were viable. In fact, we had them in place until the current administration came in and did the damage that it has. But I think it was an accurate assessment. 

Over the years, I've become a real technology optimist. We may have understated the case in 200…because from 2010 to 2020, EV battery prices dropped by 90%. None of us were predicting that kind of price drop, and I’ve been really impressed with American ingenuity and entrepreneurship. If we stay the course and make the right policy choices, the U.S. can still lead the world in this industry.

CALSTART has long collaborated with research institutions and academics, including Dr. Jimmy Chen, Managing Director of SECA at Stanford’s Precourt Institute for Energy. Reflect on CALSTART's work in bridging academic research to industry application in advancing the clean transportation market (VerdeXchange Conference)?

At Stanford, UC Davis, and many other institutions, especially here in California, there’s outstanding research and analysis happening. We’ve built strong partnerships with those universities, and CALSTART is in a great position to bridge academia and industry to accelerate this market. 

It’s a tremendous opportunity to leverage California’s world-class universities to both grow the clean transportation industry and tackle major climate and energy challenges. We're a do tank, not just a think tank. We take ideas from research labs and help turn them into policies, programs, and products that move markets.

That said, our partnerships go far beyond academia. We’ve worked with local, state, and federal governments across the country to help design and implement critical incentive programs that make clean technologies commercially viable. From electric bikes and delivery vans to heavy-duty trucks and transit buses, our goal has been to build a fully integrated zero-emission vehicle market—creating jobs, reducing emissions, and positioning the U.S. as a leader in sustainable mobility.

Today, CALSTART administers several of the nation’s largest clean transportation incentive programs. Can you walk us through what these programs fund and how they’re helping to scale zero-emission transportation across sectors?

We’ve long been proud of California’s leadership. Working closely with the state, we’ve helped design and implement incentive programs for zero-emission commercial vehicles and charging infrastructure. Based on that success, Washington has adopted similar models, and we’re now partnering with two East Coast ports to establish their own programs.

At a time when we’ve temporarily lost the power of regulation, these incentives are essential to sustain market growth. On behalf of our state partners, CALSTART now distributes roughly $300–$500 million annually in incentives for zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure…both electric and hydrogen. 

We’re honored to manage these programs in California, New York, Washington, and beyond, and we take that responsibility seriously. Every public dollar invested must deliver impact, and we’ve been able to achieve that, particularly in commercial fleets. We consider this a real honor, and we want to respect the need to invest wisely in each public dollar, so we take that responsibility very seriously. We've been able to have a really big impact, particularly in the area of commercial vehicles. 

We’re seeing a surge in smaller Class 2b–4 delivery vehicles across the country, especially in California. Even more exciting, the Class 8 truck market, serving the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, is gaining traction. That growth, spurred by incentives, has drawn major private-sector investment and accelerated technology improvements. The Tesla Semi is expected to reach the market in 2026, and companies like Harbinger Motors in Garden Grove are developing Class 4–6 electric chassis at price points competitive with diesel.

These programs have been pivotal. But we now need to expand them. In this post-regulatory moment, strong state incentives are crucial. California recently extended its cap-and-invest program through 2045, which is a major step. The next challenge is ensuring that those funds are strategically invested in the zero-emission vehicle industry to sustain market growth and ZEV-related jobs statewide.

Having recently made the statement, “CALSTART will continue to partner with the states working to fill this gaping void left by today’s federal action….” in light to federal rollbacks of the California's waivers... Could you expand on that and address what effective state-led climate leadership looks like today?

I think Washington State and California have laid out a really great playbook. Both states have established cap-and-invest programs, and therefore, they have the funding to pay for incentives. I think that's really important. In addition, both states also have something equivalent to the low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS), and that’s proven itself to be a truly effective policy in advancing the market and providing real economic value to lower-carbon fuels like electricity and green hydrogen. Neither of these programs requires federal approval. 

Meanwhile, you look at the Port of LA and Long Beach, which both now have container fee programs where they place a fee on containers and then use that revenue to provide incentives for zero-emission trucks. That’s a model we’d like to see other ports around the country adopt. California also has a program and a target of getting all ride-hailing car trips done in electric vehicles, and Massachusetts is now working on something similar. Again, that’s an effort we’d really like to see expanded to other states across the country.

During the next three years, I am bullish and excited about the electric school bus market. There is solid bipartisan support, particularly in the Senate, for electric school buses, and during this period, we can help grow that market significantly.

Speak to the consequences of the "void" created by the federal administration’s rolling back of tax credits and emission standards. How challenging has, or will it become, to fill this void?

It’s slowing things down. The temporary loss of those regulations is resulting in less investment in the sector for now. A lot of those reversals are being challenged in the courts, and it’s possible one or two could be overturned.

For the next three years, we’re going to have to rely more on companies to develop better technology and better products—and I’ve shared some examples of where that’s happening. Then, we need states to step forward and do what they can within their authority to help build and advance this market. We’re going to see slower growth over the next three years than we would have had if the regulations had remained in place.

In the long run, we’ll get there. But in the meantime, I think it really plays into China’s hands, giving the Chinese EV industry a chance to race further ahead. From a national perspective, that’s what concerns me most about the rollback of incentives and regulations at the federal level.

The current President of Ford has spoken publicly about the growing competition from China and BYD in the electric vehicle market. From your perspective, what’s truly at stake for the U.S. auto industry—and how should policymakers and manufacturers be responding?

For background, I want to point out that most of the Chinese manufacturers are now switching to a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, the basic chemistry for which was actually developed at the University of Texas. The Chinese recognized its potential early on. Their industry has grown so fast that they now have economies of scale, which lets them reinvest heavily in R&D. They’re moving at such scale now that their costs keep dropping, their technology keeps improving, and the more we slow down, the longer it will take us to achieve similar economies of scale here in the U.S.

Having said that, the most important federal tax credit for our industry is still in effect, and that’s the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit. The biggest beneficiaries are the battery companies and supply chain, so we still have a very significant tax credit in place, but what we need to ensure moving forward is that the demand is still there. 

Meanwhile, the advantage for the Chinese is enormous. We were seeing them capture significant market share in the light-duty side. In Mexico, 30% of new car sales are Chinese. With their buses, they are moving heavily into South America. Chile has the largest electric bus fleet outside of China, all Chinese buses. This year alone, there have already been 90,000 electric Class 8 trucks sold in China—those are the big rigs. By the end of 2025, they’ll have sold more all-electric Class 8 trucks than all Class 8 trucks sold in the United States.

The Chinese are gaining market share rapidly. They’re learning fast, and I’m concerned that their pace of technological advancement and productivity could soon outpace us. At the same time, I’m encouraged by the number of advanced battery manufacturers and next-generation chemistries now being developed here in the U.S. That’s exactly what we need to ensure we have a domestic battery industry capable of scaling and manufacturing those technologies here at home.

You and CALSTART have a bird’s-eye view of the entire vehicle marketplace. Who in the US marketplace is leading?

If you look at market share, it’s still Tesla by an order of magnitude. They just had a record quarter for EV sales…and really, the whole industry did, largely because it’s the final quarter that qualifies for the federal tax credit.

There’s a lot of hope right now, and it’s encouraging to see the disruptors, Tesla and Rivian, pushing ahead, while the legacy automakers are beginning to catch up. I’ve been impressed with what we’re seeing from Ford, General Motors, BMW, Volvo, and Geely’s Polestar. All are producing genuinely impressive vehicles.

Pivoting to the market for hydrogen… President Trump’s administration seems to be stepping back. What’s the future of hydrogen powering transportation?

Great question. In Europe, there seems to be a lot more progress in using hydrogen for industrial applications. They have stronger overall regulations to decarbonize—not just in transportation but across industrial sectors. We’re starting to see quite a bit of hydrogen use here in the U.S. industrial space as well.

The big challenge is still the cost of hydrogen itself. In California, we funded a very successful demonstration program. The Hyundai trucks operating between Stockton in the Central Valley and the Port of Oakland are performing extremely well. The trucks work…but the economics don’t–yet. The challenge now is how to produce low-cost green hydrogen and scale it.

The hydrogen industry has to keep advancing because battery technology continues to improve rapidly. Still, we believe it’s vital to maintain strong zero-emission vehicle targets and let the market, both fleets and consumers, decide whether electric or hydrogen vehicles best fit their needs.

As you exit your very accomplished role leading CALSTART, what are your members' and board priorities going forward?

The key now is for CALSTART to take the next big leap in its evolution, which I believe should include a name change. The organization has outgrown its original California focus. We’re a national player now, and our name should reflect that.

Going forward, CALSTART needs to be an even more robust national organization…still keeping California on track, but also playing stronger defense and offense at the federal level while coordinating blue-state coalitions to keep the market moving.

I honestly believe CALSTART’s best days are ahead. My successor will have a tremendous opportunity and a great time leading this organization into its next chapter.