Noting the climate, air quality, environmental justice, clean energy and energy cost benefits, today CALSTART, its Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero program and campaign (Drive to ZeroTM), and 16 leading nations are encouraging nations worldwide to adopt a 100% zero-emission truck sales target by the year 2040.
Today’s call to action — presented in the form of a public letter — was issued on behalf of the national governments who have already signed the Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles (Global MOU). The Global MOU is the world’s most ambitious multi-national agreement to cut climate emissions from transport and accelerate the global zero-emission truck and bus segment. The letter was presented during a high-level event at Global Clean Energy Action Forum (GCEAF), a joint convening of the 13th Clean Energy Ministerial and 7th Mission Innovation (CEM13/MI7), in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The GCEAF is the final opportunity for national level climate and energy officials to meet collectively before November’s COP27 Conference in Egypt. Participants in the GCEAF included U.S. Dept. of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and top climate and energy ministers from around the world.
“Transport is a large and fast-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions and dangerous local air pollution. If we hope to collectively chart a path toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the nations with the highest transport emissions must fully commit to zero-emission trucks,” said John Boesel, CEO of clean transportation accelerator CALSTART.
“100% zero-emission truck sales by 2040 is not only imperative, it is highly achievable. Sixteen nations including my own and representing Europe, Asia, South America and North America have already confirmed we can and will meet this goal. Other leading nations must raise their ambitions. The climate crisis demands transformative action now,” said Minister Vivianne Heijnen, minister of environment for the Netherlands.
Under the Global MOU, nations also agree to set an interim goal of 30% new zero-emission truck and bus sales by 2030. In a coordinated effort, subnational governments – like California, Québec (Canada), and Telangana (India) – as well as top manufacturers and fleets have endorsed the ambition of the Global MOU and agreed to work collaboratively to support nations in meeting the 2030 and 2040 goals. In anticipation of today’s call to action, global innovation leaders ABB, Allego, ChargePoint, Ballard Power Systems Inc., Eaton, Electric Vehicle Council (Australia) and Xos just announced they too are endorsing the Global MOU.
“Electric transportation is taking hold across the globe, and international partnerships like this are key to accelerating the electric mobility revolution,” said Anne Smart, vice president of global public policy for ChargePoint. “As the only EV charging network that offers public, residential, and fleet charging across two continents, ChargePoint is well positioned to support this partnership and the transition to zero-emission trucks and buses.”
"Eaton is pleased to announce we have fully endorsed the Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles to create a better and cleaner world of the future, which also reflects our corporate vision. We are developing technologies to help our global customers achieve these targets, with the ultimate goal to facilitate net-zero carbon emissions by 2050," said Scott Adams, president, eMobility, for Eaton.
“Zero-emission transport is at the core of Ballard Power Systems mission as we deliver fuel cell power for a sustainable planet. We are investing to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen mobility to deliver zero-emission transport solutions without compromise in operation,” said Nicolas Pocard, vice president marketing & strategic partnerships, Ballard Power Systems, Inc.
Since first launching at COP26, more than 50 leading organizations like Scania, DHL, and Heineken have endorsed the Global MOU. Sixteen nations — Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Wales — have signed it.
New data shows the path toward 100% zero-emission trucks might actually be more attainable for nations and fleets than previously believed. In terms of new model availability, the global zero-emission truck and bus market is larger, more diverse, and more robust than previously thought. Updated insights and analysis into both the global zero-emission truck and bus market and the China market specifically find in 2022 that there are 808 zero-emission truck and bus models available for purchase globally (previous data revealed 543 models globally). Available models are expected to grow to 815 by 2023.
“Nations have no excuse to delay adopting strong zero-emission truck policies from a model availability, technology-readiness and cost-effectiveness perspective,” said Dr. Cristiano Façanha, CALSTART’s global director and lead of its Drive to Zero program and campaign. ”Zero-emission truck and bus models are proliferating globally and meet a growing number of user needs with cost parity with diesel well before 2030 for most applications.”
Data from Drive to Zero’s Zero-Emission Technology Inventory (ZETI) shows that in the heavy-duty truck segment, new model availability is growing rapidly globally. Model availability is expected to nearly double between 2021 and 2023 (from 57 available models to 113 in 2023). The uses for this growing segment of vehicles include city-to-city delivery, refuse collection, and distributing heavy loads from ports to distribution centers (drayage). Additional details on these new global zero-emission model availability findings can be found here.
‘’The potential for heavy-duty vehicles to impact how quickly we reach a zero-emission transport future cannot be underestimated. While representing less than 4% of the vehicles on our roads, heavy vehicles are responsible for more than 40% of global road transport emissions. Swift and decisive action is needed to increase the adoption of zero-emission trucks and the crucial infrastructure to support them,” said Sandor Darretta, global segment manager e-truck for ABB. “ABB E-mobility is leading the way to that zero-emission mobility future with smart and reliable electric vehicle charging solutions, innovations which perfectly align with ABB’s Sustainability Strategy 2030 objective to enable a low-carbon society.’’
To give global energy and climate ministers an up-close look at the zero-emission trucks that are available for purchase today, CALSTART gathered more than a dozen zero-emission heavy-duty tractors, delivery vans, step vans, box trucks and other zero-emission vehicles outside the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, where the GCEAF is being held. CALSTART’s Zero-Emission Truck (ZET) Global Expo features vehicles from Lighting eMotors, Nikola, Amazon/Rivian, Xos, Volvo, Lion, Ford, Workhorse, Peterbilt, International, Mack, Morgan and more.
CALSTART’s Drive to Zero co-led several official side-events at the GCEAF aimed at highlighting the importance of zero-emission trucks and buses as tools to address the climate crisis, while examining the barriers and solutions to growing this critical segment quickly, efficiently, and strategically.
