Drive to Zero Newsletter – September 2025

Economics & the Inevitable Shift

Purchase price remains a top consideration for fleets eyeing the inevitable shift to zero-emission technologies—and new modeling and analysis show the economics of zero-emission commercial vehicles is better than ever.

Photo: Global MOU endorser DFDS on the road in the United Kingdom.

A new comprehensive cost-modeling analysis from freight forwarder sennder finds “electric trucks are poised to become the primary mode of transportation for heavy-duty logistics…because of superior economics.” The analysis identifies global EV scaling, cheaper and more efficient electricity(as compared to diesel), and supportive policy measures as key factors in driving EV market success. Similarly, a new analysis from ICCT shows purchase prices of Class 6 and larger zero-emission commercial vehicles are on the decline in policy-forward Europe. The same vehicles have become more expensive since 2020 in the United States as the cost ratio of BEV to ICE is actually on the decline in many segments. Looking at pricing trends in some of the biggest markets globally, we are seeing prices falling in Canada, China, and India.

Photo: Global MOU endorser Windrose, a global EV-only OEM with headquarters in Belgium and roots in China, on the road.

This latest research adds to the body of findings that TCO has already arrived for a number of significant use cases in markets from China to Mexico to Ghana. This was the prominent topic discussed by Drive to Zero and partners as we just wrapped an important private session at Climate Week NYC with top fleets, manufacturers, and commercial vehicle experts.

Photo: Drive to Zero and the Climate Group host “The Inevitable Shift: Strategic Foundations for Strong Mid-Term Growth in Clean Haulage,” an event to assess the current trajectory of the clean freight transition and identify next steps to accelerate progress, hosted by the New York Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

At our strategic roundtable for catalytic action, the top minds from the commercial vehicle space agreed:

  • Ambitious and aligned policies are critical to reaching 100% new zero-emission truck and bus sales by 2040 and maximizing the economic, jobs, community, and climate benefits of zero-emission commercial vehicles—especially in the current, uncertain geopolitical landscape. To make this transition workable at scale, we need horizontal integration across sectors—transportation, energy, manufacturing, and digital infrastructure—so solutions are coordinated, not siloed. Simplifying and standardizing what is required for deployment helps reduce friction and accelerate adoption. And none of it works without strong, ongoing communication. Amplifying clear, actionable information for drivers, operators, and communities is essential to build trust and momentum.
  • Accelerating zero-emission truck and bus infrastructure is a linchpin for market transformation unlocking operational efficiencies, lowering total cost of ownership, and enabling scalable deployment across regions. That means optimizing charging locations and prioritizing return-to-base charging to improve efficiency, while integrating distributed and mobile energy solutions reduces costs and meets near-term demand flexibly. Planning for growth in stages—rather than assuming full fleet transition or peak demand from day one—ensures infrastructure scales with real-world needs. Corridor planning, like what’s underway in the Global Green Road Corridors initiative (more on that below!), reflects this approach: focusing investment on high-impact routes to build momentum.
  • Unlocking investment through targeted financial mechanisms is essential to accelerate deployment and make zero-emission solutions viable at scale. This includes innovative models like pay-per-use, pooled procurements or leasing for zero-emission vehicles, which lower upfront costs and broaden access. Public-private partnerships can help de-risk early infrastructure deployment, while aligning incentives across energy, transport, and manufacturing sectors ensures capital flows where it’s most needed. Coordinated policy support and targeted subsidies can further reduce financial friction, especially in underserved geographies and communities.

On that last note, next month we will introduce an important new tool to support financial institutions and fleets in the drive to zero. It will create greater price certainty for those lending as well as for purchasers (check out “Cut Electrification Risk & Costs” below for more information).

The solutions to scale ZE-MHDVs are known, now we must act with focus and urgency to maximize the benefits of a zero-emission freight future. We hope to see you soon at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, where we will rally for faster and stronger adoption of the policies, infrastructure, and financial mechanisms to speed our transition to a zero-emission commercial vehicle future.

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

Special Features

Drive to Zero at COP30 in Belém, Brazil

Drive to Zero will keep you up to date on our COP30 activities in the coming weeks. To learn more about the work global innovator Brazil is doing to advance zero-emission transportation, check out our Charging Up Change spotlight on Brazil.

Welcome to Our New Global MOU Endorsers!

INTENT Platform

Kabisa

Upcoming Events

Cut Electrification Risk & Costs

🗓️ Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 14:00–15:00 BST/ 900 – 1000 EDT

Join us to learn about a landmark new cost-cutting blueprint for governments, lenders, fleets, and innovators to support the transition to zero-emission trucks and buses.

Cut Electrification Risk & Costs: The Residual Value Guarantee Blueprint offers a step-by-step guide to creating effective Residual Value Guarantee (RVG) programmes that accelerate zero-emission truck and bus adoption, unleash capital, and slash costs for fleets.

Don’t miss:

✅ Projections on the cost saving benefits of RVG programmes for fleets & how much capital can be unleashed

✅ The basic structure to set up an RVG programme

✅ What key questions governments, development banks, and stakeholders should ask when creating an RVG programme

✅ A step-by-step guide to setting up an RVG programme that works

Presented by CALSTART, the Green Finance Institute, the Climate Group and the European Clean Trucking Alliance, join us to hear from the experts about how creating more certainty around resale values for battery-electric trucks can help transform global transport.

Sign Up

Poland-Germany Zero Emission Road Freight Corridor

🗓️ Join our Global Green Road Corridors Action Accelerator Event Monday, October 20 at 8:30 AM EDT / 12:30 PM UTC / 2:30 PM CEST to see how the Poland-Germany Zero Emission Road Freight Corridor, covering the A2 (Warsaw-Poznań-Łódź-Berlin) and A4 (Krakow–Katowice–Wroclaw to the German border) motorways will lead the shift to electric trucks.

Led by Smart Freight Centre (SFC) the corridor is focused on:

✅ Deploying key charging hubs

✅ Accelerating long-haul battery-electric trucks

✅ Strengthening local economies and cutting pollution

The nearly 1,000 km corridor is set to transform Europe’s largest road-freight market!

Register Today

Resources

Changing Infrastructure for Good: European Corridor to Zero

This month, with the support of Drive to Zero, Global MOU endorser AVERE Ukraine President Dennis Radiuk and Vice President of Development Vladyslav Prytomanov co-led a Global Green Road Corridors (GGRC) initiative action accelerator event spotlighting the European Corridor to Zero (CTZ). This in-development corridor is:

✅ Building a robust heavy transport charging network

✅ Driving demand for ZE-MHDVs among the transport and logistics sectors

✅ Supporting ZE-MHDV implementation strategies in Ukraine’s recovery and rebuilding efforts

Missed the event? We’ve got you covered:

Learn More about the Global Green Road Corridors Initiative

India/EU ZE Connections

In a multi-lateral event supported by CALSTART’s Drive to Zero, representatives from eight Indian states — including Global MOU endorsers — the Government of Telangana and Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) — visited Norway, The Netherlands, and Belgium to hear about European experiences on accelerating sustainable mobility and advancing the transition to cleaner transport.

Stakeholders from the three EU countries offered insights into policies, infrastructure, financing, and innovations that support the rollout of zero-emission trucks, charging ecosystems, and green freight corridors. In Brussels, Drive to Zero helped the delegation explore the integration of Renewable Energy (RE), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and the trade-offs of different electrification strategies through our interactive game, the “Serious Game on Global Green Road Corridors.” The session sparked dialogue on advancing road corridors, complemented by contributions from the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), European Climate Foundation, the European Commission, and ECTA – European Clean Trucking Alliance, who shared valuable European insights.

Photo: Transport experts from India and the EU play the “Serious Game on Global Green Road Corridors” in Brussels.

Thank you to our partners at NRDC, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, European Climate Foundation (ECF), and the Regulatory Assistance Project.

Trash to Treasure in the Drive to Zero

ICYMI, we recently spotlighted a massive zero-emission refuse fleet conversion in Ghana, which will will deliver $300+ million in savings plus healthier, cleaner air.

Global MOU endorser Zeronox and the Jospong Group are partnering to complete the world’s largest fleet retrofit electrification project. They are transforming 1,000 internal combustion engine refuse trucks in Global MOU signatory Ghana into zero-emission vehicles using the Zeronox Electric Powertrain Platform. The transformation is expected to deliver ~$300 million in projected savings and massive carbon reductions of ~400,000 metric tons of CO₂ abated over five years.

🌍 Read more about this project and other global innovators that are changing transportation for good in our Charging Up Change series.

Top Headlines

Events/Reports

 

Market

 

Fleet Deployments

 

Manufacturers and Models: Trucks and Buses

 

Government Policies

 

Financial Incentives

 

Fuels and Infrastructure

 

Batteries and Technology