China has unveiled its first nationwide targets to accelerate the adoption of new energy heavy trucks as part of a broader push for green, low-carbon transportation. The plan, jointly issued by the Ministry of Transport and ten other central government bodies, aims for the country to deploy 1.6 million new energy heavy trucks by 2030. These vehicles are projected to make up 40 percent of new heavy truck sales that year and represent 20 percent of the total heavy truck fleet by the end of the decade.

Heavy trucks currently comprise only 3 percent of China’s vehicle fleet but are responsible for half of all road transport carbon emissions, underscoring their importance in meeting national carbon peak goals. To support this transition, the government plans to develop a 30,000-kilometer zero-carbon highway network on key expressways, supplemented by about 3,000 specialized charging and battery swap stations devoted to heavy trucks.

Regional targets prioritize electrification in areas such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster, where over 80 percent of fixed-route short-distance shuttle transport is slated for electrification under national air pollution control measures. Liu Xin, head of the Transport Planning and Research Institute, emphasized that the strategy focuses on integrating the vehicle fleet with road infrastructure and energy supply systems, aiming to eliminate logistical bottlenecks and facilitate large-scale commercial operation across both short and long haul routes.

Market growth for new energy heavy trucks has accelerated in recent years. From January 2025 through May 2026, sales totaled 337,000 units, lifting market penetration to over 29.5 percent. In May alone, sales surged 104 percent year-on-year to nearly 31,000 units, comprising 40.88 percent of all heavy truck sales that month. Leading manufacturers include XCMG, China National Heavy Duty Truck Group, and Sany Truck, with several companies recording triple-digit growth. For example, China National Heavy Duty Truck Group saw a 213 percent increase, while Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle’s sales jumped 219 percent.

This expansion is partly driven by government subsidies for scrapping older National IV emission standard trucks, trade-in incentives, and strong demand from mining, urban construction, and other industrial sectors. As production scales up, the cost gap between electric and conventional diesel trucks is narrowing. Dang Botao, new energy product manager at Shaanxi Automobile Group, noted that the purchase price of electric heavy trucks is approaching parity with internal combustion models. Additionally, electric trucks offer significant operational savings, particularly for bulk cargo logistics where energy costs per kilometer are roughly one-third those of diesel vehicles.

Experts highlight the total cost of ownership advantages. Zhang Rongji, executive president of StarCharge China, said electric heavy trucks reduce annual operating expenses by 150,000 to 250,000 yuan ($22,190 to $36,980) per vehicle, resulting in cumulative savings of up to 1 million yuan over five years. Liu Zhen, product line manager at China National Heavy Duty Truck Group, forecasts sustained market growth driven by advances in battery technology, green hydrogen production, intelligent connectivity, and integrated zero-carbon systems. These innovations could push new energy heavy truck penetration to 80–90 percent by 2035.

Research firm Huatai Securities projects that China’s new energy heavy truck fleet will include approximately 1.31 million battery-electric units and 290,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2030. Annual battery demand for electric heavy trucks is forecast to reach 85.5 gigawatt-hours between 2026 and 2030, accounting for about 14 percent of the country’s total power battery installations, with expectations for further growth.

Reflecting the strategic importance of the sector, major battery manufacturers have increased investments. CATL signed a cooperation agreement with Shanxi province in May to establish an industrial hub focused on battery-swap heavy trucks, while CALB launched field research projects in Shandong province targeting electric heavy trucks and vessels. These developments signal strong momentum as China accelerates its transition to a low-carbon heavy transport sector.