{"id":19593,"date":"2019-09-25T16:20:03","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T20:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=19593"},"modified":"2019-09-25T16:27:03","modified_gmt":"2019-09-25T20:27:03","slug":"zero-emission-trucks-and-buses-can-improve-our-climate-clean-air-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2019\/09\/25\/zero-emission-trucks-and-buses-can-improve-our-climate-clean-air-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Zero-emission trucks and buses can improve our climate, clean air future"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This week, hundreds of officials from countries, states, cities and companies all over the world are convening<\/a> in New York to discuss the future of our planet. Among the many solutions being discussed is one that sometimes gets less attention, but holds tremendous opportunity to tackle climate change and<\/em> clean our air in communities across the globe: zero-emission trucks and buses.<\/p>\n

I attended an event hosted by CALSTART where they presented information on their Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero Program<\/a>. This international initiative focuses on driving market development of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles through partnerships that promote supporting policies and investments. We also heard from leading government and corporate players like the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, FedEx and INGKA (formerly the IKEA Group) on the progress they are making to electrify their fleets. As Angela Hultberg, Head of Sustainable Mobility of INGKA, made clear, we are past the point of making commitments, we need to move to implement.<\/p>\n

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The global transportation sector is expected to be the largest source<\/a> of growing emissions through 2050, not to mention a major contributor to ozone and particulate pollution in local communities. The majority of this growth will come from the freight movement as expanding economies increasingly rely on shipping and delivery.<\/p>\n

But what many people don\u2019t know is that within this growing source of global emissions, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles \u2014 like large delivery trucks, port vehicles and buses \u2014 account for nearly 60% of this growth and are projected to rival passenger vehicles as the largest source<\/a> of transportation greenhouse gases by 2050.<\/p>\nZero-emission trucks and buses can improve our climate, clean air future <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n

Because climate change and air pollution are linked \u2014 the sources of the emissions that cause them are often the same \u2014 these emissions will also be responsible for serious air-quality impacts to human health. In 2015, diesel-powered vehicles were the largest contributor<\/a> to premature deaths globally caused by transportation pollution \u2014 many of these are concentrated in urban areas and disadvantaged communities.<\/p>\n

Herein lies a huge opportunity to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions and curtail global oil demand. It\u2019s time to transition the world\u2019s trucks and buses to zero-emission alternatives.<\/p>\n

Transforming the transportation sector from fossil fuels to zero-emission has remarkable promise. But it comes with equally remarkable challenges. For example, truck fleets usually drive all day and would need to charge at night. That creates a supply and infrastructure dilemma for local utilities that would have large and new loads to satisfy in the evening.<\/p>\n

Balancing the significant lifetime cost savings of electric trucks and buses with their upfront costs is also challenging. While a recent analysis<\/a> by the California Air Resources Board found that battery electric trucks will be cost competitive with a wide range of diesel trucks by 2024. In the interim, we need to pursue a variety of financing and grant solutions that will accelerate adoption of these vehicles to deliver their significant climate and air quality benefits today.<\/p>\n

At EDF, our staff is working on these two primary challenges in an effort to catalyze the electrification of transportation.<\/p>\n