Long Haul Trucks
Long-haul freight trucks are vital for moving goods throughout the state and are the backbone of the U.S. goods economy. The country’s reliance on heavy trucks has a flipside, however: by 2050, analysis shows that heavy trucks will be the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from on-road transportation nationally and in Oregon.
According to models from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, total greenhouse gas emissions from heavy trucks are almost three times greater than emissions from cars, trucks and SUVs. To reduce those emissions, state agencies turn to technology advancements in heavy truck engines and exterior designs.
Trucks powered by electric motors are an attractive option, but they are hindered by high costs, large batteries that reduce cargo capacity, and a lack of charging infrastructure. Long-haul trucks can’t “return home” often to charge like other electric vehicles; they typically spend days or weeks on the road. They’d need a national charging network that doesn’t exist yet.
(Clean hydrogen is a promising alternative to electric for trucks carrying heavy loads; see the Lower Emissions Fuels page for more information.)
In the meantime, the most promising engine technology for long-haul trucks are engines powered by biodiesel and renewable diesel. These lower emission fuels are commercially available and are compatible with current diesel engine designs. Most importantly, they produce less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional diesel.
Other vehicle technologies can help trucks save fuel and reduce emissions: better aerodynamics, advanced electronic systems to control driving speeds, and new tire rubber compounds to reduce rolling resistance. Learn more about these fuel efficiency tricks on the System Operations page.
Long haul trucks: emissions reduction vision
By 2035, engine and powertrain technologies will be 25% more efficient for long-haul freight trucks, compared to 1990 levels.
By 2050, engine and powertrain technologies will be at last 35% more efficient for long-haul trucks, compared to 1990 levels.
How Oregon is doing
While Oregon has made progress on reducing emissions from long haul trucks, several technology barriers still need to be addressed:
Heavy trucks haul tens of thousands of pounds and require powerful engines. Few engines or motors that use lower emission fuels exist that can handle those loads, and their refueling infrastructure is poor or nonexistent.
The same problem exists for electric heavy truck engines: they’re still in development, and the infrastructure to support their high charging power demand is virtually nonexistent.
Efforts to electrify overnight truck idling in Oregon has met resistance, mainly due to high cost to install overnight power at truck stops. Diesel engines also perform better and last longer if their stop/starts are limited, but that means they have long periods of idling, which produces significant greenhouse gas emissions.
Things are improving, however. The State Diesel Policy passed in 2019 requires a phase out of certain diesel engines that emit more greenhouse gases, which will reduce overall diesel emissions in the Portland Metro region. This law could be expanded to a statewide requirement.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality also adopted the ambitious Advanced Clean Trucks rule in 2021. The rule requires truck sales in Oregon to be 40% electric by 2032, which should help further curb emissions.
Hydrogen fuel cell EV technology is also promising. In 2022, the Oregon Departments of Transportation and Environmental Quality published a joint report on how to prepare Oregon for hydrogen fuel cell EVs over the next 15 years.
How Oregon can improve
While the transition to truck electrification is nascent, Oregon needs to start preparing now for anticipated future needs when this shift happens. Oregon’s best strategy in the near term is to support more fuel-efficient vehicle designs that require less fuel for the same amount of work. Those fuel savings translate into less greenhouse gas emissions.
State agencies can work to implement the 2021 Oregon Advanced Clean Trucks rule by helping heavy truck operators make the switch.
Aftermarket parts added to truck exteriors can reduce wind drag and increase fuel efficiency.
The Oregon Clean Fuels Program regulates the statewide mix of fuels to reduce the emissions they emit over time, with targets through 2035. Current efforts are working to extend that rule; learn more about this on our Fuel Technology page).
State and local agencies can pursue federal funding and partner with industry and utilities to build medium- and heavy-duty charging infrastructure.