How long until China can electrify its heavy trucks?
Alternative-fuel trucks have been developing rapidly, but challenges remain to large-scale deployment The post How long until China can electrify its heavy trucks? appeared first on Dialogue Earth .
By the end of 2025, China had around 8.6 million heavy trucks on the road, constituting 40-55% of carbon emissions from transportation. Although the air quality seemed cleaner during the reporter's recent visit to Shiyan, a city in Hubei province known for manufacturing heavy trucks, the electrification of heavy trucking remains a significant step in decarbonising transport.
As of 2025, only around 28% of heavy trucks had switched to electric power, with the goal to reach 40% by 2030. In 2024, government subsidies for alternative-fuel trucks surged to CNY 140,000, significantly boosting market penetration from 32% in January to 45% by June. However, heavy trucks require larger batteries or tanks due to their long-distance usage, which presents a challenge.
Electric trucks have become the most mature alternative-fuel technology, with recharging or swapping batteries at designated stations being viable options. Yet, upgrading charging infrastructure to accommodate the power requirements of heavy trucks remains essential for broader adoption.
Written by urgent.news from Dialogue Earth's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
