According to the US 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 white paper explores how an increasing role for zero-emission vehicles over time could reach certain goals by 2050 – making for a very different future. This paper focuses primarily on trucks, as trucking represents 82% of freight energy use, but also provides some comparisons for other modes.
