Abstract
Heavy-duty transportation modes including trucks, buses, and seaport and airport equipment are relatively hard to decarbonize because of their demanding performance requirements and other factors. The California Scoping Plan for Achieving Carbon Neutrality calls for carbon-neutral transportation across all modes by 2045, with different sectors reaching 100% zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales by earlier dates, depending on the type of vehicle. Creative strategies are needed to help incentivize fleets to adopt the lowest emission truck, bus, and other equipment technologies, given their relatively higher capital and fuel costs. These policies might include offering enhanced incentives through the state Heavy-Duty Vehicle Incentive Program, truck “feebates,” adopting indirect-source rules that target high-traffic areas with the most pollutant generation and impact, and others. Recent research at the UC ITS highlights key issues and concerns and offers insights into the potential near- and longer-term solutions to address GHG and other pollutant emissions from these important sectors.
