Drive to Zero Program Pledges Faster Clean Vehicle Adoption

Government entities and industry leaders have signed on to a new program to accelerate the deployment of zero-and near-zero emissions commercial vehicles and technologies.

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September 12, 2018

Drive to Zero Program Pledges Faster Clean Vehicle Adoption — The Drive to Zero pledge commits government entities and private industry to adopt clean vehicle technologies in key markets globally.
Photo: Jim Park

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Government entities and industry leaders have signed on to a new program to accelerate the deployment of zero-and near-zero emissions commercial vehicles and technologies.

The Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero pledge is an international effort aimed at reducing emission from trucks and buses in key markets. The program is championed by CalStart, a non-profit organization that promotes the growth of clean transportation technologies.

The pledge focuses on the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle segments in eight global markets. The goal is to achieve commercial success for clean vehicle technology in these markets by 2025 and dominate new sales in these segments by 2040.

“By showing the demand for these vehicles, and focusing on the most viable markets, we can accelerate their adoption, improve air quality and reduce emissions,” said John Boesel, president and CEO of CalStart. “Once we achieve commercial viability in these areas, we can work to reach economies of scale, bring costs down and increase adoption throughout the entire medium- and heavy-duty vehicle industry.”

It is a global effort and the Drive To Zero also targets developing countries such as China, India, and Mexico to improve air quality and promote public health where commercial vehicles represent a larger percentage of the total vehicle population and air pollution problem.

The group will be adopting an application approach pioneered by the California Air Resources Board, known as the “beachhead” strategy. The Drive to Zero applies this strategy on a global scale, targeting transit buses, shuttle buses, package and delivery trucks, urban “box” trucks, yard tractors, port handling equipment and regional Class 7/8 drayage (cargo) trucks. The new program will support the advancement of the beachhead markets by identifying barriers, sharing solutions and best practices, and conducting analysis.

“Our climate ambition is to reduce emissions with 95% by 2030. The importance of setting ambitious visions should not be underestimated,” said Raymond Johansen, the governing mayor of Oslo, Norway. “This is why I believe the work of CalStart, and the Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero Pledge launched today will be a game-changer. By working globally to achieve zero-emission dominance in commercial vehicle sales we can achieve what would not be possible by working in isolation.”

Signers and Supporters of the Pledge include:

Government