The Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and CALSTART’s Drive to Zero program and campaign held a digital dialogue on Thursday, June 23 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am EDT for a discussion on the role of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (ZE-MHDVs) to accelerate climate action and spur economic growth.

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles represent a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissions and produce a majority of on-road nitrogen oxides that cause adverse health effects. Decarbonizing medium- and heavy- duty vehicles will be a heavy lift, far more so than electrifying cars and SUVs. Recognizing the technical and economic viability of ZE-MHDVs and the need for increased climate action, 16 leading countries – including Canada and the UK – signed a Global MOU to align on a common ambition towards 100% new MHDVs being zero emissions by 2040.

The advancement and scalability of zero-emission vehicle technology will be crucial to ensure global decarbonization goals are met and to reduce human health consequences caused by tailpipe emissions. Technology for ZE-MHDVs has advanced significantly during the past decade, with battery and hydrogen-fueled motors becoming increasingly viable against diesel-run engines. However, challenges persist for their full market immersion.

Can the ambitious goals in the Global MOU be met? Can current technology for ZE-MHDVs get us there? What national policies will be required to create the market necessary to drive manufacturers to scale up? During this panel, industry leaders will discuss the status of advanced technology, opportunities and challenges to ZE-MHDVs development, broader economic impacts that these technologies will have, and the need for further industry endorsements of Global MOU goals.

The recording of the dialogue can be accessed here.

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