With New Delhi hosting the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Global Assembly on April 6-8, it’s more critical than ever to recognize India’s role in achieving a global transition to zero-emission commercial vehicles (ZECVs). CALSTART commissioned an industry assessment and roadmap for zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks (ZE-MHDTs) in India to better support the country’s adoption of ZECVs. Read about the study’s key findings in our latest blog post.
One of the most important discussions is the need to build a supportive ecosystem for ZE-MHDTs. India must adopt a beachhead strategy, which necessitates identifying truck applications that are currently most feasible to electrify, focusing immediate policy and investment efforts on those initial applications, and developing a strategy for scaling technology over time to more challenging applications and segments.
Figure extracted from “Industry Assessment & Roadmap for Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks in India”
— Peter Jenkins, Program Manager, CALSTART / Drive to Zero
Program Updates
Zero-Emission Technology Inventory (ZETI) Relaunch Roundup
On March 9, Drive to Zero relaunched its ZETI tool, an interactive online resource that establishes a current and shared knowledge base for worldwide commercially available offerings of zero-emission trucks and buses. This new version now enables users to view and “cut” model availability data by technology type and region, plus compare various models and their features like range, payload, and more. We also unveiled new data about model availability growth in the zero-emission truck and bus segment through ZETI Analytics, and these new stats made waves across various news outlets. Check out all featured articles in the Drive to Zero Newsroom.
Missed the big announcement? View the live demonstration of the updated ZETI tool and data with digital dialogue from industry leaders.
HVIP Re-Opening for Voucher Requests on March 30
California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) is set to re-open voucher requests for standard HVIP funds at 10 a.m. Pacific on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. For FY21-22, $196.6 million is available for standard HVIP voucher requests. Set-aside funds will also become available at the same date and time. Please reach out to info@californiahvip.org or visit CaliforniaHVIP.org for more information about HVIP’s re-opening.
Joint EVI-Drive to Zero Session at CEM Global Assembly on April 7
In partnership with the IEA’s Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI), Drive to Zero is co-organizing a session at the CEM Global Assembly in New Delhi to coordinate transportation electrification workstreams in the lead up to the 13th Clean Energy Ministerial in Pittsburgh in September 2022.
Pledge Partner Updates
The Drive to Zero pledge partner network continues to grow, and we are excited to welcome the following organizations that recently signed the Drive to Zero Pledge:
- Fleets and Users: Australian Trucking Association
- City, State, and Regional Governments: Berlin Partner for Business and Technology
- Utilities and Infrastructure Providers: Iberdrola
- Manufacturers: Janus Electric
The Drive to Zero pledge partner network now stands at over 135 partners working together to accelerate the market for ZECVs. Learn more about the Pledge on the Drive to Zero website.
News Updates
Development of India’s supportive ecosystem for ZE-MHDTs and implementation of its beachhead strategy will certainly benefit from this month’s global zero-emission trucking news. Battery-electric terminal tractor technology is now mature enough for fleets to make serious investments. Major industry manufacturers continue to churn out model and technology announcements, including Mercedes-Benz’s production of its third electric truck (the eEconic) and Traton Group’s goal to create affordable battery electric solutions for operations that include long-haul transportation with 2.6 billion euros to spend on R&D. Such investments are key given the truck market often holds operating economics and productivity above all else—the U.S. Department of Energy did share encouraging projections that by 2030, nearly half of medium- and heavy-duty trucks will be cheaper to buy, operate, and maintain as zero-emission vehicles, and the ICCT provided an updated look at how zero-emission trucks compete with diesel.
India’s state governments, one of which has signed the Global MOU, will also need to take a proactive role in supporting zero-emission trucks. In the U.S., promising new state policies include the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles’ Clean Truck Fund, a fee for cargo containers hauled by drayage trucks to incentivize cleaner trucks and to generate funds to accelerate zero-emission technology development.
In addition to ZE-MHDTs, India has made progress in electric bus adoption, and the past weeks saw an uptick in deployments and infrastructure developments for electric bus fleets across the globe, from Canada and Berlin to U.S. cities Houston and Chicago. But one transit agency just recently stole the ever-moving limelight: the Antelope Valley Transit Authority in California became the first all-electric, zero-emission transit agency in North America. This achievement was accomplished in just six years—18 years ahead of California’s regulated deadline.
Please share new information, potential partners, and innovative practices to achieve our Drive to Zero goals at info@globaldrivetozero.org. Follow us on Twitter @TeamDrivetoZero. Please feel free to share this newsletter with others.
– Emily Varnell, Technical Writer, CALSTART
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