Drive to Zero Newsletter – September 2026

For more than 30 years, Drive to Zero’s parent organization, CALSTART, has been at the forefront of the clean transportation industry, working with industry, government, and community partners to fulfill its mission to change transportation for good. After three decades, the organization has evolved and outgrown its name.

We are rebranding under a new name: Catalyst Mobility™. The name represents a renewed vision for our organization, focused on advancing clean, equitable, and affordable transportation solutions that move all people and goods. Catalyst Mobility’s President and CEO Michael Berube recently made the announcement at the Forth Roadmap Conference.

Berube also announced that Forth, a U.S nonprofit working to advance transportation electrification, will be combining with Catalyst Mobility at the start of 2027.

Catalyst Mobility will help scale the clean transportation industry globally by advancing innovative programs, forward-thinking policies, and breakthrough technologies that expand mobility choices and accelerate market transformation.

“This new name does not change who we are. It sharpens how we show up for the next chapter by highlighting how we’re Building Clean Transportation Together™,” said Berube.

Catalyst Mobility will continue to bring together industry, government, and communities to advance and accelerate affordable clean transportation solutions accessible to all. Learn more at catalystmobility.org. Please follow Catalyst Mobility on LinkedIn for additional updates.

— The Catalyst Mobility Team

Upcoming Events

🗓️ Catalyst Mobility at NYC Climate Week

📅 Wednesday, September 23, 2–5 p.m.
📍 Québec Government Office in New York
1 Rockefeller Plaza, 26th Floor
New York, NY 10020

Government, industry, and NGO experts will highlight leading examples from around the world, including:

🚛 I-95 on the U.S. East Coast
🚛 Highway 20 in Québec
🚛 e-Dutra Corridor in Brazil

The solutions-oriented discussion will explore how coordinated planning, investment, infrastructure, payment systems, and technical standards can help advance zero-emission freight between Québec and the U.S. Northeast — while offering lessons for scaling green corridors globally.

Register Now

🇹🇷 Coming to COP31?

Drive to Zero is gearing up for the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) on 9-20 November 9–20 in Antalya, Türkiye. Are you? Attendees are invited to join the Drive to Zero COP31 Whatsapp group to connect and coordinate. Join today.

Special Features

🌎 Welcome to Our New Global MOU Endorsers!

Join them — endorse the Global MOU today!

🌎 Global MOU Forum 2026

Caption: Zero-Emission Truck Showcase at the Global MOU Forum in Santiago, Chile.

Global MOU countries, as well as subnational governments, and dozens of top brands from around the globe and all with a singular purpose—accelerating zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles—gathered in Santiago for the Global MOU Forum 2026. Our team was inspired by Red Metropolitana de Movilidad, the breathtaking Cerro Calán cultural experience, our informative and collaborative workshops, and the ZET Talks that reinforced our ability to transform the global freight and logistics sector together.

Highlights of our incredible three days together include:

  • A visit to El Conquistador Charging Hub to experience megawatt-scale charging and grid integration in the real world.
  • Dynamic workshops designed to inform zero-emission MHDV policy, finance, and infrastructure strategies.
  • The Forum’s Zero-Emission Truck Showcase at Universidad de Chile featuring 15+ zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, with OEMs, fleets, and technology providers sharing real-world deployment experiences and the technologies helping scale ZE-MHDVs.
  • Our “Serious Game: Grid Capacity & Charging Challenge”—an interactive simulation exploring the complexity of decision-making around charging infrastructure and grid capacity.
  • Incredible cultural experiences and the new friendships that were forged.

Caption: Chile’s Ministry of Environment helps to kick off the Global MOU Forum 2026.

Caption: Senior Global Director Catalyst Mobility’s Drive to Zero Stephanie Kodish welcomes Forum participants to Santiago and opens the Forum.

Caption: Global MOU Forum participants visit El Conquistador Charging Hub in Santiago.

Caption: Global MOU Forum participants at El Conquistador Charging Hub in Santiago tour zero-emission buses.

Caption: Zero Emission Truck Showcase attendees browse vehicles at the University of Chile.

Forum attendees are invited to: 

  • Give us feedback on the Forum. |  Survey
  • Share these (and your!) photos on social media (#GlobalMOUForum #Forum2026), in your newsletters, and in personal meetings. Don’t forget to tag Drive to Zero and Catalyst Mobility on LinkedIn. | View Photos
  • Relive the Forum! Global MOU Forum 2026 | Watch Film
  • View the Global MOU Forum 2026 ZET Talks | Watch ZET Talks

Thank you to sponsors El Centro de Aceleración Sostenible de Electromovilidad (CASE), CLETS, ClimateWorks Foundation, DIMEC Ingeniería Mecánica Universidad de Chile, DTP (Directorio Transporte Público Metropolitano), Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas Universidad de Chile (FCFM), Novandino, Open EV Lab, and Scania for their leadership and support.

🙏 Thank you GIZ and Kühne Climate Center!

Special thanks to GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and Kühne Climate Center for sponsoring travel and accommodations enabling several of our Global MOU community leaders to attend the Forum.

🇪🇹 Ready for 2027? See you in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! Details to follow.

🚀 BC2BC Launch in the Media

Caption: Top transportation officials from California, Washington, and Baja California are joined by the CEO of the Port of Long Beach and industry leaders to announce the launch of the BC2BC Corridor.

Last month, top transportation officials and industry leaders including Catalyst Mobility President and CEO Michael Berube gathered at the Port of Long Beach to launch the BC2BC Corridor. The green transportation route will enable electric trucks to travel along the U.S. I-5 corridor from British Columbia to Baja California. The BC2BC initiative is supported by CalSTA, Catalyst Mobility and its Global Drive to Zero program, and the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis. The organizations are coordinating planning and investment for the project. From the Los Angeles Times to local TV stations and trade publications, our announcement received significant media coverage both locally and nationally. Read the Los Angeles Times story, which was picked up by Yahoo! News, here.

🎥 ZET Talk: Decarbonizing the Africa Northern Corridor

At the Global MOU Forum 2026, Dr. John Deng Diar Diing, executive secretary of the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority, outlined his agency’s plans to fully decarbonize Africa’s Northern Corridor by 2050. The Corridor is centered on the Port of Mombasa in Kenya and extends across six countries in East Africa. He explained that achieving this goal will involve overcoming two central challenges: reducing the amount of time it takes to charge electric trucks and ensuring there is enough power capacity to charge these vehicles. Both will require significant coordination with utilities, investors, and governments.

Top Headlines

Market

Fleet Deployments

Manufacturers and Models: Trucks and Buses

Fuels and Infrastructure

Batteries and Technology