Accelerating zero emission truck adoption in urban applications: Beijing analysis and recommendations

Abstract

With the complete phase out of national new energy vehicle purchase subsidies, Chinese cities need to explore more policy instruments to simulate the adoption new energy trucks (NETs). The study takes Beijing as an example and aims to address: how Chinese cities can craft policies to further promote NETs, considering different NET models operating in divergent duty cycles by different sizes of operators would have different obstacles with vehicle technologies and costs, to achieve its carbon and air pollutant emission reduction goal, while maintaining the livelihood of small and medium carrier in the freight industry. Based on NET technical performance analysis and surveys WRI conducted on carriers in Beijing, we analyze the technological readiness of NETs and the gaps in total costs of ownership (TCOs) between NETs and ICE trucks for each duty cycle category. The study further identifies the policies that are effective to fill the current (2022—2024) technological and cost gaps of NETs, based on literature review and quantitative analysis.