BOSTON, October 29, 2020. – According to the report «Zero-Emission Objective: How are bus and truck manufacturers positioning themselves in North America? » published today by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), Propulsion Québec and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), truck and bus manufacturers are well aware, in their investments and production plans, that the future of their sector depends on zero emissions and are therefore preparing to meet demand in Canada and the United States.
The report indicates that at least 125 zero-emission truck and bus models are currently in design, production or demonstration phases. Over the past five years, sales of zero-emission commercial vehicles in North America have increased nearly tenfold. There are models for each of the major heavy-duty vehicle market segments, including transit and school buses, delivery vans, box trucks and tractor-trailers. All major manufacturers are working to develop at least one fully electric model or are part of an industry collaboration to commercialize zero-emission vehicles.
The entire heavy-duty vehicle sector is accelerating its shift to green. Moreover, battery-electric technology — as opposed to hydrogen batteries — dominates the market for the first heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles.
« The electrification of commercial vehicles has gone into overdrive. Announcements of new zero-emission models, major investments and joint ventures are coming one after another, » saysBen Sharpe, senior researcher at the ICCT. Even better, we expect the market transformation to continue to accelerate. With ambitious policies like California’s clean truck regulation that will come into effect in the coming years and the continued decline in technology costs, the race to zero emissions is in full swing. »
« As vehicle electrification is one solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is essential to encourage the development and commercialization of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to meet the needs of fleet managers who wish to transition to electric, says Sarah Houde, President and CEO of Propulsion Québec. We are pleased to see Quebec electric vehicle manufacturers take a leading position and stand out in the North American market, and we encourage the deployment of public policies, such as a ZEV law, in support of these medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. »
« It is imperative to produce zero-emission trucks to reduce air pollution and fight climate change, especially for communities near major highway corridors, addsJason Mathers, director of vehicle and freight strategy at EDF. Major manufacturers are ready to produce them, and fleets are eagerly awaiting them. We now need bold policy to accelerate the market introduction of zero-emission trucks and buses, which will improve air quality and support job creation in North America. »
Although the emerging market for zero-emission trucks and buses is highly dynamic, as evidenced by announcements of new products almost every week, the limited availability of vehicles remains a barrier to large-scale adoption. Fleet managers and policymakers want assurance that there will be enough zero-emission vehicles to enable them to meet their ambitious conversion targets.
The report, which presents zero-emission models in prototyping or commercial deployment since July 2020, from both established manufacturers and start-ups, finds that this era of uncertainty could soon come to an end because of the growing number and diversity of zero-emission models on the market.
This study was conducted with financial participation from the Government of Québec, the Heising-Simons Foundation and Hydro-Québec.
TheInternational Council on Clean Transportation (theicct.org) is an independent non-profit organization, founded so that environmental authorities have access to impartial research as well as high-quality technical and scientific analyses. Its mission is to improve the environmental performance and energy efficiency of road, maritime and air transport, in order to promote public health and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Propulsion Québec(propulsionquebec.com), Quebec’s electric and intelligent transportation cluster, mobilizes all actors in the sector around coordinated projects aimed at positioning Québec among the leaders in the development and deployment of ground transportation modes that favor electric and intelligent transport. Created in 2017, Propulsion Québec now has more than 170 members from various sectors and deploys its resources across seven distinct workstreams aimed at developing and supporting innovative projects. The cluster benefits from the financial support of the Government of Québec, the Government of Canada, the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM), the FTQ Solidarity Fund, the City of Québec, Québecor and ATTRIX.
TheEnvironmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading international non-profit organization, combines scientific, economic, legal and technological partnerships with the private sector to find transformative solutions to the most critical environmental problems. Follow the organization:EDF Voices, Twitter and Facebook.
Contacts:
Erica Fick, (512) 691-3406, efick@edf.org
Ben Sharpe, (916) 205-5490, ben@theicct.org
