• Program Transportation & Infrastructure Transportation & Infrastructure
  • Type Discussion paper
  • Date 16 April 2025
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Abstract

Trucking plays a crucial role in sustaining economic activity worldwide, yet its current path of carbon emissions is out of sync with the net-zero goals set by governments globally. As a result, identifying key energy economic and policy research priorities for low-carbon trucking has become increasingly important. We tackle this need with a four-part approach: (i) identifying pressing issues highlighted in the news media; (ii) formulating economic and policy research challenges that address these contemporary concerns; (iii) cross-referencing these research challenges with academic literature to confirm their relevance, and refining them as needed; and (iv) prioritizing the identified research challenges through consultations with a diverse group of transport experts. Our findings reveal seven key themes, each with its own set of research challenges. Among these, the research challenges prioritized by experts include: (i) high-power charging versus battery swapping for battery electric trucks, focusing on market preferences, standardization (chargers vs. batteries), national strategies, and business models; (ii) optimal allocation of government subsidies between deployment of zero tailpipe emission trucks, including battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks, versus refueling/recharging infrastructure deployment; and (iii) a comparative cost-benefit analysis of the EU’s tailpipe versus lifecycle carbon emissions regulations for new trucks.

Authors

Rubal Dua

Principal Fellow- Transportation & Infrastructure Rubal is a principal fellow at KAPSARC focused on understanding consumer decision making, in particular, consumer choice of energy-efficient technologies…

Rubal is a principal fellow at KAPSARC focused on understanding consumer decision making, in particular, consumer choice of energy-efficient technologies and mobility options under alternative technology and policy scenarios. Before joining KAPSARC, Rubal gained a Ph.D. at KAUST designing advanced carbon materials for energy and environmental applications, with a particular focus on energy storage, carbon capture, waste-water treatment, and hydrogen generation via solar water splitting. Prior to that, he worked at the University of Pennsylvania on a semiconductor industry-funded project, developing a continuum modeling framework for simulating the physics of micro defect formation in silicon crystals.

Expertise

  • Behavorial decision science
  • Consumer adoption
  • Energy-efficient mobility and shared autonomous mobility-on-demand

Publications See all Rubal Dua’s publications

Saif Almutairi

Associate- Transportation & Infrastructure Saif Almutairi is an Associate in the Transportation & Infrastructure program at KAPSARC. As a transport engineer, his interests include…

Saif Almutairi is an Associate in the Transportation & Infrastructure program at KAPSARC. As a transport engineer, his interests include transport policy and economics, transport modeling, and assessing policy changes related to mobility amid the energy transition. His current research focuses on transport system efficiency, advancing transport policy, and evaluating the impact of emerging technologies on the future of mobility. Saif holds an M.Sc. in Transportation Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Expertise

  • Transportation

Publications See all Saif Almutairi’s publications

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