China unveils master plan for roll-out of heavy-duty electric trucks

In China, New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) include battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles. Over the past few months, registration figures for NEV trucks in China have surged, culminating in an exceptional peak in December driven by the phase-out of subsidies towards the end of the year.

Building on this growing interest, the Chinese government has now introduced a short-term master plan with a horizon extending to 2030, aimed at accelerating the transition to zero-emission drivetrains in road freight transport. This is outlined in a report by CN EV Post, which cites a joint statement from eleven Chinese government agencies. According to the roadmap, the following targets have been set for heavy-duty trucks over 12 tonnes by 2030:

• A 40 per cent market penetration for NEVs in new registrations.
• A total of 1.6 million vehicles, representing approximately 20 per centof the fleet.
• NEV trucks are to account for 18 per cent of total freight transport on motorways.

To achieve these milestones, the government plans to promote and coordinate the installation of around 3,000 charging and battery-swapping stations. Additionally, it aims to establish 30,000 kilometres of carbon-neutral freight corridors on key motorways. In this context, operators of new or modernised motorway service areas will be required, for example, to install appropriate charging infrastructure or reserve space for it.

The new plan also sets specific targets for certain regions and use cases. Tailored regulations will apply to particular areas, such as the northern Chinese megacity cluster of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei or the Fenwei Plain. Here, the government envisages an electrification rate of 80 per cent for all regular, short-haul truck shuttle routes. Further instruments will be employed by the Chinese state to steer the market:

• Authorities will enhance fiscal and financial support, coordinating funds for vehicle purchases and the expansion of charging infrastructure.
• Local governments are encouraged to provide financing through dedicated bonds and ‘green loans’.
• The plan promotes new business models, such as the separation of vehicle and battery ownership and battery leasing.
• The regulatory framework is to be further developed.

This package of incentives is designed to further accelerate the ongoing ramp-up of NEV trucks in China. According to CN EV Post, sales of heavy-duty NEV trucks over 12 tonnes in China reached 231,100 units in 2025 – a 182 per cent increase compared to the previous year and a 29 per cent share of new registrations. However, this result was distorted by the aforementioned one-off effect in December. During that month, the NEV share surged to 54 per cent before dropping significantly in the new year.

For comparison: in Europe, a total of 6,372 externally chargeable trucks over 16 tonnes were registered in 2025, according to ACEA statistics. This represents a share of 2 per cent. Even if electric trucks over 12 tonnes are included, the share would only increase slightly – highlighting that China is operating in a different league.

cnevpost.com, xxgk.mot.gov.cn (Chinese)