(a) The Department of Insurance, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, shall create a consumer-focused online insurance information resource tool, based on data collected pursuant to Section 938, for the public to use to readily find information and insurance options for battery-powered, hydrogen-powered, or other zero-emission advanced truck technology, including which insurance companies offer insurance for trucks or fleets using different zero-emission technologies and any relevant coverage limits or fleet size specifications, to provide a “one-stop” for the public.

(b) The Department of Insurance, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, shall provide an assessment of all of the following:

(1) The availability and affordability of insurance for existing and emerging advanced fleet technologies being deployed for heavy-duty vehicles.

(2) The role of insurance markets in meeting the goals of Chapter 4.1 (commencing with Section 39710) of Part 2 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code and the greenhouse gas reduction and short-lived climate pollutant emissions reduction goals of the state.

(c) On or before January 1, 2025, the Department of Insurance, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, shall create a strategy to address current and future insurance gaps for new heavy-duty truck technologies, including consideration for establishing a risk pool and other tools to offer insurance to truck fleet businesses and individual truck owners who are unable to find insurance in the private insurance markets. This strategy shall include an evaluation of all of the following:

(1) The number of companies offering insurance for zero-emission truck fleets, or individual zero-emission trucks, in the current market.

(2) The impact of existing electric and hydrogen truck insurance policies on emissions reductions from the heavy-duty truck sector.

(3) Availability of actuarial loss data for electric and hydrogen trucks, or fleets of those trucks.

(4) Coverage limits most appropriate for zero-emission truck fleets, based on the common size and characteristics of zero-emission trucking fleets.

(5) Additional insurance related information, including information collected pursuant to Section 938.

(6) Important timelines and specific checkpoints for monitoring insurance accessibility in advance of major regulatory deadlines for transitioning medium- and heavy-duty fleets to zero-emission technologies, and state goals for increasing the percentage of zero-emission trucks and buses in the state.

(d) The State Air Resources Board shall provide information necessary to support the Department of Insurance in the development of the evaluation described in subdivision (c), including, but not limited to, the information required by paragraphs (2) and (6) of subdivision (c).

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 347, Sec. 2. (AB 844) Effective January 1, 2024.)