China is pushing to ensure that electric trucks account for at least 40 per cent of new heavy-goods vehicle sales by 2030, as part of a broader effort to reduce carbon emissions in its vast transport sector.
That would mean having at least 1.6 million electric heavy-goods vehicles on the road by the end of the decade, said Cai Tuanjie, an official from China’s Ministry of Transport, at a Tuesday press briefing. Electric trucks currently make up nearly 30 per cent of China’s new heavy-goods vehicle sales, state media reported in May.
The official said the push to overhaul the road freight sector would deliver wins on multiple fronts: boosting China’s electric vehicle industry, reducing carbon emissions by replacing diesel with electricity, and cutting logistics costs.
Demand for electric trucks is already surging in China. Last year, sales of new-energy heavy-goods vehicles soared by 182 per cent year on year, Cai said. The momentum has continued this year, with sales up nearly 80 per cent in the first half of 2026, he added.
“We should capitalise on the current momentum, ramping up efforts to promote their large-scale adoption,” Cai said.
The pivot to electric trucks has been partly driven by government subsidies. Under
, buyers of a new-energy heavy-goods vehicle can receive subsidies of up to 140,000 yuan (US$20,700), Xinhua reported. Now, authorities are aiming to maintain these incentives and expand adoption.