Publication Detail

Brief: Can Deep Cuts in GHG Emissions from Trucks be Achieved by 2050?

UCD-ITS-RR-15-45

Research Report

Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways (STEPS), National Center for Sustainable Transportation

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Suggested Citation:
Fulton, Lewis and Marshall Miller (2015) Brief: Can Deep Cuts in GHG Emissions from Trucks be Achieved by 2050?. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RR-15-45

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, freight modes accounted for 29% of transportation fuel use and 31% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2012, growing to 34% of fuel use and 35% of GHG emissions by a baseline 2040 projection. It appears unlikely that much de-carbonization in the freight sector will occur without strong policy measures. This policy brief is drawn from the full white paper, which explores how an increasing role for zero-emission vehicles over time could reach certain goals by 2050 – making for a very different future. The paper focuses primarily on trucks, as trucking represents 82% of freight energy use, but also provides some comparisons for other modes.