Electric Trucks and Buses

Heavy-duty vehicles, while comprising only 5% of US road vehicles, contribute over 25% of vehicle-based global warming emissions and significant air pollution. The document advocates for the adoption of battery- and fuel cell-electric trucks and buses to eliminate tailpipe emissions and improve public health, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color. It highlights that battery-electric buses are currently the lowest-carbon option across the US and calls for government policies, including adoption targets and manufacturer standards, to accelerate this transition.

• Heavy-duty vehicles have a disproportionate impact on the environment in the United States, accounting for more than 25 percent of global warming emissions from all US vehicles despite making up only about 5 percent of the total vehicle population.
• Air pollution from heavy-duty vehicles, including nitrogen oxides, ozone, and particulate matter, causes severe health issues such as lung irritation, heart disease, and cancer. These impacts disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color, which are frequently located near busy roads and freight hubs.
• Battery-electric buses are identified as the lowest-carbon option for every region of the United States based on the current electricity grid, and their life cycle emissions are lower than those of diesel and natural gas buses.
• Major US cities, specifically New York and Los Angeles, have committed to transitioning their transit bus fleets to 100 percent zero-emissions.
• Accelerating the shift to zero-emissions transportation requires federal, state, and municipal government action, including the establishment of adoption targets, manufacturer standards, and funding for incentive programs.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). Electric Trucks and Buses. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/images/2018/09/electric-buses-trucks.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Electric Trucks and Buses. 2018. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/images/2018/09/electric-buses-trucks.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Electric Trucks and Buses |date=September 2018 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/images/2018/09/electric-buses-trucks.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2018electric, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Electric Trucks and Buses}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/images/2018/09/electric-buses-trucks.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }