Global Commercial Drive To Zero Program — Drive to Zero Newsletter

As the Global Director of Drive to Zero, next week is one of the most exciting times of the year for me. From June 2 – 4, Global MOU countries and endorsers will gather for the Global MOU Summit 2025 in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Year-after-year at this event, I am filled with hope and gratitude witnessing how deeply committed our community is to collaboratively achieving our shared Global MOU goals.

As I’ll share in my “ZET Talk” (TED Talk, top that!) to kick off the Summit, I see the Global MOU community as analogous to one of the most powerful and fascinating phenomena in nature typically invisible to the human eye: the mycorrhizal network. Just like this “Wood Wide Web” works below the surface to promote healthy forests, so much of what we do to promote a just global transition to zero-emission trucks, buses, and infrastructure is behind the scenes. During the Summit, much of the ongoing work across stakeholder groups, across cultures and across expertise is exposed, revealing the immense development and progress of our network, in constant motion beneath the surface.

What I find most fascinating about the mycorrhizal network is that it isn’t controlled by a single entity; it is a vast coordinated system, just like us. When I return from the Summit, I look forward to sharing my full ZET Talk with all of you, as well as highlighting the growth that makes the Global MOU community so valuable.

I also want to give a warm formal welcome to Colombia as the new Global MOU co-lead (view a video message from Colombia’s Minister of Transport María Fernanda Rojas Mantilla below).

Also, thanks to the Netherlands for its effective, strategic, and thoughtful work as the previous co-lead. These two global powerhouses in the transition to zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure are guiding forces in our community and will continue to be so in the years to come.

—Stephanie Kodish, Global Director of CALSTART/Drive to Zero

Special Features

ITF2025: New Green Corridor, Global MOU Signatories, & Endorsers Announced

At the International Transport Forum, Drive to Zero and the Netherlands held a media event and workshop. While in Leipzig, we announced:

40 nations have now signed the Global MOU targeting 100% new zero-emission truck and bus sales by 2040
Montenegro and Peru joined the Global MOU — Global MOU signatories are home to 1 in 5 trucks globally
Colombia was named new country co-lead for Global MOU effort
More than 250 subnational government and private sector innovators boasting annual revenues of more than $1.3 trillion now endorse the Global MOU — with 35 new endorsers announced at ITF
The Mediterranean Corridor, led by Iberdrola, was announced as a new part of the Global Green Road Corridors initiative
Zero-emission truck sales in Europe soared by 50.6% in Q1 2025

Our First Subnational Government in Australia—The Australian Capital Territory (ACT)—was Announced at ITF 2025 as an Endorser. Welcome, ACT!

In case you missed it and in honor of Earth Day, Drive to Zero is highlighting some of the achievements of our Global MOU signatories and endorsers so far this year. Together, we’re doing a lot of good for the planet, from putting more ZE-MHDVs on the road to decarbonizing major freight corridors. Join us in taking a moment to reflect on our collective progress!

So far in 2025, Global MOU community wins include:

“The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is proud to be the first jurisdiction in Australia to sign the Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. The ACT has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2045. With the transport sector contributing over 65.5% of the ACT’s total emissions, reducing emissions from this sector is crucial.

“We have made great progress in transitioning to zero-emissions light vehicles, and the ACT now leads the country in electric vehicle uptake per capita. This MOU extends our ambition to medium- and heavy-duty zero-emissions vehicles, as more models become available to the Australian market.

“The ACT’s energy transition is a significant economic opportunity, and the clean energy sector will see strong employment growth over the next 10 years. Alongside boosting zero-emission vehicle use in both commercial and private transport, we’re also investing in a skilled workforce to meet future needs and strengthen our economy. One key initiative is our Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence—the first of its kind in Australia—which will offer advanced training for mechanics, technicians, and manufacturers working with both light and heavy vehicles.

“By collaborating with governments and industry partners, we aim to remove barriers, attract investment, and make the transition to net-zero more cost-effective and accessible for all.”

— Deputy Director-General, ACT Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate Geoffrey Rutledge

California Dreamin’ of Zero-Emission Trucks

📍 Showcase Event
🗓️ June 18 | 9:00 am to 3:00 pm PT

Ever dream of getting behind the wheel of a zero-emission truck? Dream no more and register for CALSTART’s Zero-Emission Showcase + Ride & Drive at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on Wednesday, June 18, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM PT. This hands-on showcase gives participants the opportunity to test drive the zero-emissions vehicles transforming our industries. On display will be:

Medium and heavy-duty trucks (Class 2b-8)
Off-road equipment
School and transit buses
Commercial vans

IEA: Global EV Outlook 2025

Expanding sales in diverse markets

Electric truck sales saw a huge boost in 2024, increasing by around 80 percent and accounting for close to 2% of all truck sales worldwide, according to the new editionof the IEA’s annual Global EV Outlook. The report finds that China also played a big role in this increase, noting the cost-competitiveness of some heavy-duty electric trucks in China compared with their diesel equivalents. It also noted demand being driven by the much lower operating costs of zero-emission trucks.

Latin America’s Clean Transportation Future

💻 Webinar
🗓️ June 3 | 9 AM PT/12PM ET

Join us to learn about the policies and organizations enabling battery-electric truck deployments in Sweden. What can the U.S. and other countries learn from their success? This informational exchange of success stories and strategies aims to spark solutions to increase adoption of battery-electric trucks on a global scale. Hear from our partners at Lindholmen Science Park and Volvo Group.

EVS38: Connect with Drive to Zero at EVS!

📍 Gothenberg, Sweden
🗓️ June 15—18

Are you attending the 38th International Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition in Sweden this year? CALSTART’s Drive to Zero program is proud to contribute to these events with several of our Global MOU signatories, endorsers, and partners. We hope you will join us!

Monday, June 16th, 16:30–17:30: “How Will We Manage the Integration of Electric Logistics?” a panel discussion featuring Dutch Minister for the Environment and Public Transport Chris Jansen, Milence COO Roel Vissers, Siemens eMobility CEO Markus Mildner, and CALSTART Vice President Jasna Tomic.

Wednesday 18th of June, 8:00 and 9:00: “Global South Leadership in ZEV Supply-Side Regulations (SSRs): Lessons from India, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico” Moderated by Jasna Tomic, Vice President, CALSTART, and featuring The Electric Mission, South Africa as well as Mr. Sharif Qamar, Associate Director, TERI, India.

Don’t miss the Global MOU Summit 2026!

Sadly, the clock has run out to register for the Global MOU Summit 2025—but it’s not too late to endorse the Global MOU and receive your invitation for our event in 2026. Check out our activities from 2024 in Madrid—the electric vehicle showcase, networking events, workshops, a walking tour of the City Centre and Hub Canalejas, a visit to the EMT Operational Center Carabanchel, and more! We will share our 2025 video spotlight of Arnhem in an upcoming newsletter.

Endorse View Madrid

A special thank you to our 2025 sponsors, DHL and Milence!

Policy Brief: Driving the Transition to Zero-Emission Trucks

What policies are advancing zero-emission commercial vehicle adoption? Where have zero-emission commercial vehicles already achieved total cost of ownership (TCO) parity with their diesel-powered counterparts? This is the critical information you’ll find in Driving The Transition To Zero-Emission Trucks, a new policy brief published by Economics of Energy Innovation System Transition (EEIST), in partnership with the International Council for Clean Transportation (ICCT). This policy brief has been launched this month to inform discussions at the Global MOU Summit, where some of the authors will be joining us for workshops focused on the most effective policy intervention found by the report: ZEV sales mandates.