Sustainable Freight

Building a cleaner, more efficient freight system.

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including those that carry cargo, are the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. Emissions from these vehicles have increased by 76% since 1990. Trucks and other freight vehicles also contribute to poor air quality and negative health outcomes, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color.

ACEEE is advancing a cleaner, more sustainable U.S. freight transportation system.  

We investigate technologies that reduce the fuel consumption of trucks and other freight vehicles, we study opportunities to enhance the energy efficiency of the freight network through system-level improvements, and we support the expansion of freight systems that permit goods to travel by the most efficient mode or combination of modes, minimizing fuel use, harmful emissions, and highway congestion. 

We work to advance freight decarbonization by:

• Conducting comparative economic and financial analyses of hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric truck infrastructure alongside strategic outreach and policy integration to empower federal, state, and regional decision-makers to make informed investments
• Identifying opportunities for improved demand planning as ports electrify to ensure that grid capacity does not limit transition timelines
• Gathering best practices and delivering customized technical assistance to utilities and public utility commissions to accommodate increased concentrated power loads introduced through the electrification of trucks, delivery vans, buses, and other fleet types
• Exploring potential efficiency gains from using information and communications technology (ICT) to optimize the movement of goods