US releases National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy

Developed by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation and Department of Energy (DOE) in collaboration with the department of transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, the strategy will guide the deployment of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicle charging and hydrogen fuelling infrastructure from 2024 to 2040.

The strategy will prioritise, sequence and accelerate infrastructure along key freight corridors and hubs in four phases.

It will establish priority hubs based on freight volumes between 2024 and 2027; connect hubs along critical freight corridors between 2027 and 2030; expand corridor connections initiating network development between 2030 and 2035; and achieve national network by linking regional corridors for ubiquitous access from 2035 to 2040.

“This is a big move to deliver environmental justice—75 per cent of heavy truck traffic travels on just 4 per cent of our nation’s roads, jeopardising the health of our most vulnerable communities,” said President Joe Biden’s national climate advisor Ali Zaidi.

“Medium- and heavy-duty trucks in our current freight network contribute approximately 23 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the US transportation sector. These new designations and strategy will help to grow our national EV charging network, encourage clean commerce within the freight community, and support President Biden’s goals of achieving net-zero emissions for the nation by 2050,” federal highway administrator Shailen Bhatt was quoted as saying in a DOE release.

In alignment with this new strategy, the Federal Highway Administration announced the designation of national EV freight corridors along the National Highway Freight Network and other key roadways.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)