US Commits to Zero-Emissions Heavy Trucks
Source：Environment+Energy Leader
From：Taiwan Trade Center, Los Angeles
Update Time：2022/12/01
At COP27, the United States signed the Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. As part of this, the United States has pledged itself to sell all zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDV) by 2040. The pact also sets a short-term goal of 30% of zero-emission fleet vehicles by 2030. The agreement does not require the US federal government or agencies to adopt new emission regulations, targets, or standards. Despite this, the EPA has recently stated it would implement tougher emissions standards on heavy-duty vehicles by the end of 2023.
Currently, MHDVs account for 10% of the vehicles on US roads and 28% of the emissions from transportation. Even before COP27, the transition had already begun. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, the number of electric MDHVs sales in the US doubled between 2020 and 2021, with the total number of zero-emission MDHVs expected to increase by 26% from 2020 through 2023. CALSTART estimates the US could avoid more than 700 million metric tons of emission by 2040, and more than 1 billion metric tons by 2050 if it meets the pact’s goals.
The United States has prioritized zero-emission transportation through recent legislation and made real strides to accelerate the transition. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Laws included $7.5 billion towards a national EV charging network, and $10 billion for clean transit and school buses while the Inflation Reduction Act called for an additional $1 billion for clean heavy-duty vehicles. It isn’t just the federal government that has become interested in sustainable transportation. The private sector has also begun transitioning to zero-emission commercial fleets. TerraWatt Infrastructure has stated it received more than $1 billion to help create an infrastructure for commercial fleets. Companies such as Amazon, Fedex, Frito-Lay, and United Rentals have made big investments in electric MDHVs.
Source: https://www.environmentalleader.com/2022/11/us-commits-to-zero-emissions-trucks-buses/