- Goa is the latest Indian state to join a global memorandum of understanding, committing to work with other members to achieve 100% zero-emission truck and bus sales by 2040.
- The Indian state joins the 27 nations and 80 regional governments who are committed to the agreement.
- This addition of a state with a population of over 1.5 million is a boost to ensuring the deployment of electric trucks and electric buses across the globe.
Another state sets the stage for fully electric trucks and buses by 2040
The Drive to Zero program, which includes a memorandum of understanding which calls for cooperation to ensure that 100% of sales of buses and trucks are zero-emission based by 2040, has announced another member. Indian state Goa has joined the memorandum for a cleaner future, signalling its intent to to transition to fully electric commercial vehicles.
The pledge is currently backed by 27 nations, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. This extends to 80 local governments, and also private organisations who pledge to switch to zero-emission vehicles – DHL and Scania, just to name a few.
What it means for electric commercial vehicles
Goa’s membership is yet another member leading by example, which will further encourage others to get on board with the pledge – particularly beneficial in wider India, which has over 2.8 million primarily diesel-powered trucks on its roads.
As well as assisting the world in its journey to net zero, manufacturers of electric commercial vehicles will benefit from this announcement. Rivian, for instance, has already launched a significant deal with Amazon to supply the company with fully-electric commercial vans.
Meanwhile, on the heavier side, we saw at EV LIVE how manufacturers such as DAF Trucks are ready to supply fully-electric vehicles capable of hauling heavy loads.
Some areas are already storming towards this 2040 goal. In the UK, Oxford is already rapidly adopting zero-emission buses, with the city set to receive over 104 electric buses over the next year.
This is the second Indian state to join the pledge after Telangana, a state with a significant population of over 38 million. As the country continues to suffer from the effects of climate change, time will tell whether other states, or the country as a whole, will pledge to this significant commitment.
Whilst 27 nations is significant, that still leaves the majority of countries around the globe unaccounted for in this push for zero-emission heavy commercial vehicles by 2024. The announcement also comes before the global World EV Day in September.
