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Contribution of Heavy-duty Vehicle Emissions

Heavy-duty Vehicle Responsible for 54% of Total Carbon Emissions from Road Transport

Transport is one of the key areas of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. According to the ‘First Biennial Transparency Report on Climate Change in the People's Republic of China’, transport accounts for about 10% of China's total carbon emissions from energy activities in 2021. The study shows that road transport is the emission hotspots in the field of transport, accounting for 86.76% of the total carbon emissions. The fuel consumption of heavy-duty vehicles accounts for nearly 50% of the total fuel consumption of road transport, and the CO2 emissions of heavy-duty vehicle account for 54% of the total carbon emissions of road transport. The State Council's ‘2024-2025 Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction Action Plan’ clearly states that it is necessary to promote the electrification of vehicles in the public sector, the orderly promotion of new energy medium- and heavy-duty trucks, the development of a zero-emission freight fleet, and the low-carbon transformation of transport equipment.

    Vehicle Segments Assessed

    1. Straight trucks (medium models)
    2. Straight trucks (heavy models)
    3. Dump trucks
    4. Tractor-trailers
    5. Coaches

    Vehicle Segments and GVW/GCW Classes for CO2 Emissions (g/km)

      Tighter Fuel Consumption Standards Help Reduce Carbon Emissions

      Evolution of China’s fuel consumption standards for heavy-duty vehicles

      China has implemented four phases of fuel consumption standards for heavy-duty vehicles since 2012, with fuel consumption limits progressively stringent in each phase.
      Stage 1 began in July 2012 with a two-year transition period;
      Stage 2 commenced in July 2014 with a one-year transition period;
      Stage 3 commenced in July 2019 with a two-year transition period;
      Stage 4 to be implemented in July 2025 and more stringent than Stage 3 by 12%–16%.

      1. Tractor-trailers
      2. Straight trucks (medium and heavy models)
      3. Dump trucks
      4. Coaches

      1. Tractor-trailers

        In 2023, the sales-weighted average CO2 emissions (g/km) of the best-selling tractor-trailers (46-49 tonnes) fall from 1,139.3 g/km in 2021 to 1024.1 g/km, a reduction of 10.1%.

        1. Straight trucks (medium and heavy models)

          In 2023, the sales-weighted average CO2 emissions (g/km) of the best-selling medium straight trucks (3.5-4.5 tonnes) decreased by 2.5% compared to 2021, and those of heavy truck (16-20 tonnes) decreased by 5.1%.

          1. Dump trucks

            In 2023, the sales-weighted average CO2 emissions (g/km) of the best-selling dump trucks (2.5-3.1 tonnes) are 8.5% lower compared with 2021.

            1. Coaches

              In 2023, the sales-weighted average CO2 emissions (g/km) of the best-selling coaches (3.5-4.5 tonnes) are 4.6% lower compared with 2021.

              Technology and Regulations Drive Change

              Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles Grown Significantly in Market Share

              China's heavy-duty vehicle has undergone profound changes over the past decade, driven by technology, fuel types and environmental regulations. While diesel vehicles continue to dominate, natural gas and electric vehicles have grown significantly in market share.

              Vehicle Market Sales Trends by Fuel

              1. Weakening Market Dominance of Diesel Vehicles

                China’s diesel heavy-duty vehicle market saw a decade-long boom between 2012 and 2020, rising from 1.6 million new vehicles sold in 2012 to a peak of 2.9 million sold in 2020. Sales plummeted in 2020–2022 and have been slow to rebound amid declining demand from the construction and manufacturing industries. Diesel has long been the leading powertrain among heavy-duty vehicles in China, accounting for 96% of the heavy-duty vehicle market in 2012, declining to 80% in 2023. Conversely, natural gas and battery electric vehicles saw growth over this period, making up 7.7% and 7.3% of total heavy-duty vehicle sales.

                Evolution of heavy-duty vehicle specifications and sales-weighted CO2 emissions (g/km)

                1. Trucks/tractors
                2. Buses/coaches

                1. Between 2012 and 2023, trucks and tractors saw large increases in engine power (+74%), total weight (+51%), and engine displacement (+30%). Sales-weighted average CO2 emissions from trucks and tractors initially increased due to lenient regulations and the exclusion of heavy truck categories—notably dump trucks, which were not regulated by fuel consumption standards until Stage 2 standards took effect for all new type-approved models in 2015. Since the introduction of Stage 3 standards in 2019, the type-approved CO2 emissions of new trucks have fallen sharply, reaching parity with 2013 levels in 2023. The “inverted-U” pattern indicates progress on fuel consumption control by manufacturers despite growth in power, total weight, and engine displacement. The adoption of technologies such as common rail injection and exhaust gas recirculation have contributed to improved fuel efficiency among trucks.

                  1. Between 2012 and 2023, buses and coaches saw 32% declines for total weight, 32% declines for engine displacement and recorded a sustained decline in CO2 emissions since 2013, amounting to a 40% improvement by 2023.

                    Technological Innovation: Driving Heavy-duty Vehicles Cleaner and more Efficiently

                      Evolution of Diesel Supply Technology Market Structure

                      Among the major trends between 2012 and 2023 was the application of common rail fuel injection, whereby fuel is stored at high pressure in a single rail and injected into each cylinder independently. This allows for more precise control of fuel delivery for improved performance and fuel efficiency and can therefore reduce pollutant emissions. Common rail was adopted with the China III emission standards, which took in effect in 2008, and took about a decade to be fully adopted by heavy-duty vehicles.

                      In 2023, almost all diesel HDVs in China were equipped with common rail systems, regardless of engine displacement or size.

                      China VI-b

                        Aftertreatment Technology

                        The evolution of emission control technology has tracked the development of pipeline emission standards for HDVs: China IV (which took effect in 2015), China V (2017), China VI-a (2021), and China VI-b (2023). The more stringent emission limits at each stage have become the core driving force to promote the upgrading of emission aftertreatment technology innovation.

                        In 2012, 44% of trucks were not equipped with any aftertreatment technology. Since 2013, emission aftertreatment technology has gradually become an indispensable configuration for new models due to stricter emission control requirements. Since China VI, emission control systems have converged toward similar technical approaches, with the only difference being the presence or absence of EGR. Systems without EGR require higher NOX conversion efficiencies. In 2023, the two most popular technology combinations split the market of diesel HDVs: Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC)+DPF+SCR+Ammonia Slip Catalyst (ASC) (35%) and EGR+DOC+DPF+SCR+ASC (65%).


                        Future Outlook

                        • Acceleration of Electrification

                          With technological advancements and policy support, the market share of electric heavy-duty vehicles is expected to continue to grow, especially in the urban logistics and short-distance transport segments.

                        • Acceleration of Green Transformation

                          China has a per-vehicle fuel consumption regulation for new models. Stage 4 standards will take effect in July 2025 and will tighten fuel consumption limits by approximately 12%–16% compared with Stage 3, depending on the vehicle type. This is expected to motivate heavy-duty vehicles to increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

                        Note: The content on this page is taken from ‘Driving with cleaner engines: The evolution of diesel heavy-duty vehicles in China, 2012–2023’ published by ICCT in 2025.
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