Pulling The Weight of Heavy Truck Decarbonization

The report examines the decarbonization of mining haul trucks, which currently emit 68 MtCO2 annually and represent a significant portion of mine energy use. It argues that meeting 2050 targets requires a nonlinear pathway involving full decarbonization via disruptive technology by 2040, as near-term partial investments offer limited long-term timing benefits.

• Mining haul trucks are a major source of emissions and energy consumption, emitting 68 MtCO2 annually and accounting for 30%–50% of a mine's total energy use, with demand expected to grow due to increased mineral needs and higher ton-km requirements.
• To align with the International Energy Agency's 2010–2050 target of a 58% reduction, the mining sector requires a nonlinear decarbonization pathway that achieves full decarbonization of hauling through disruptive technology by 2040.
• Near-term investments in partial decarbonization only delay the need for disruptive technology by three to five years; therefore, companies should prioritize non-truck-based solutions where applicable and aggressively pursue R&D and policy support for disruptive innovations.

APA

RMI (2019). Pulling The Weight of Heavy Truck Decarbonization. https://rmi.org/resources/pulling-the-weight-of-heavy-truck-decarbonization/

Chicago

RMI. Pulling The Weight of Heavy Truck Decarbonization. 2019. https://rmi.org/resources/pulling-the-weight-of-heavy-truck-decarbonization/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Pulling The Weight of Heavy Truck Decarbonization |date=12 June 2019 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/pulling-the-weight-of-heavy-truck-decarbonization/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2019pulling, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Pulling The Weight of Heavy Truck Decarbonization}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2019}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/pulling-the-weight-of-heavy-truck-decarbonization/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }