China targets 40 percent penetration of new energy heavy-duty trucks by 2030

In a major push to accelerate the green transformation of the transport sector, 11 Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Transport and the National Development and Reform Commission, have jointly released an implementation plan to expand the use of new energy heavy-duty trucks (NE-HDT). The policy sets an ambitious target: by 2030, the market penetration rate of NE-HDT in China is expected to reach 40 percent, with a total fleet exceeding 1.6 million units. This figure equates to roughly 20 percent of all heavy-duty trucks operating in the country, according to a report by Carnewschina.

Transport remains one of the main sectors contributing to carbon emissions, accounting for around 10 percent of the national total. Within this sector, heavy-duty trucks contribute approximately 40 percent of transport-related emissions. Officials stressed that expanding the use of NE-HDT, defined as heavy vehicles with a gross weight of 12 tonnes or more primarily using new energy sources, is crucial for reducing pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter.

According to market research firm CIC Consulting, the annual total cost of ownership (TCO) of a conventional fuel-powered heavy-duty truck in 2024 reached 797,000 yuan, whereas an electric model cost only around 620,000 yuan. This economic advantage has driven rapid growth. Liang Linhe, a director at Sany Group and chairman of Sany Heavy Truck, noted that the market penetration rate of new energy heavy-duty trucks surged from just 0.9 percent in 2021 to 28.9 percent in 2025.

Currently, electric heavy-duty trucks are primarily used for short-distance transport in closed environments such as coal mines, steel plants, and ports. Wang Jianyu, deputy general manager of FAW Jiefang and dean of the Commercial Vehicle Development Institute, stated that by 2025 the penetration rate of electric heavy-duty trucks in these short-distance transport scenarios had already surpassed 60 percent. For long-haul logistics, the industry still faces two main challenges: battery energy density and the availability of charging infrastructure. Because current regulations limit the maximum gross weight of heavy-duty trucks to 49 tonnes, increasing battery capacity to extend range often reduces payload capacity as part of the weight must be allocated to the battery. To address this, the industry is pursuing two main paths: megawatt charging and battery swapping.

Meanwhile, CATL is developing a battery swap system to lower purchase cost barriers and reduce the risk of battery asset depreciation. By the end of 2025, CATL had built 305 battery swap stations for NE-HDT and plans to increase that number to 900 stations by the end of 2026. The company is targeting its battery swap network to cover 80 percent of major logistics corridors by 2030.

The new implementation plan also calls for the construction of approximately 3,000 charging and battery swap stations for heavy-duty trucks. Additionally, the Chinese government is targeting new energy trucks to account for 18 percent of road freight volume by 2030. To support this infrastructure build-out, the government has committed to providing land and energy supply support, financial incentives, and more favourable electricity tariffs. These measures are designed to promote the development of zero-carbon road transport corridors while spurring innovation in commercial business models, ensuring the transition to new energy can proceed sustainably and remain economically viable for fleet operators.