China

Accelerating the Scale-up of Zero-Emission Fleets

The transport sector is a major source of carbon emissions in China, with road freight accounting for a substantial share in transport-related carbon emissions.

Because most of freight activities are carried out by trucks, accelerating the transition to zero-emission trucks is critical to achieving China's climate goals.

While the deployment of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks is gaining momentum, further scale-up will require overcoming systematic barriers, including high upfront costs, vehicle performance constraints, inadequate charging infrastructure, and gaps in policy support.

Aligned with China's 2030/2060 goals, the project works with national and subnational partners to generate technical evidence and policy recommendations that accelerate the adoption of zero-emission trucks and strengthen enabling measures, including charging infrastructure and zero-emission freight zones and corridors.

 

Strategic Partners


Ministry of Ecology and Environment

 

Key Outputs


In China, the framework conditions for decarbonising transport are enhanced through strengthened requirements and feasible concepts for the deployment of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty freight trucks.

 

 Project Progress


In Phase 2, the China component of the NDC-TIA will focus on enhancing framework conditions for transport decarbonization through strengthened requirements, improved technical capacities, and feasible concepts for deploying zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty freight trucks.

Building upon Phase 1 successes, the project will directly support the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) and local stakeholders through the following work:

  • Technology Feasibility & Policy Outreach: The China Component will analyze real-world duty-cycle performance, model availability, costs, financing mechanisms, and charging infrastructure to help diesel-powered freight trucks reach cost parity and transition to zero-emission technology. Policy recommendations will be made to inform national policymakers.

  • Localized Implementation & Gender: Building on Phase 1 work in Guangdong Province, the project will provide research support for the establishment of near-zero-emission transport zones (or clean transport pilot zones) at the subnational level, and promote best practices nationwide to scale zero-emission truck adoption. Supplementary studies will incorporate social equity and gender-disaggregated impacts into zero-emission zone planning.

Research


NDC-TIA’s China component team provides technical research support to Chinese partners on the decarbonization of the freight transport.

 
 

News & Events


NDC-TIA’s China component team has established a communication and exchange platform by organizing technical exchanges and workshops on the development of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty freight trucks.

 

Staff