CALSTART’s Global Commercial Vehicle “Drive to Zero” program and campaign announced the Volvo Group has joined its ranks. By signing the Drive to Zero pledge, Volvo joins a network of more than 130 manufacturers, fleets, governments, infrastructure providers and other market leaders committed to accelerating zero-emission commercial vehicles.
Pledge partners agree to work strategically and collaboratively to support and grow mechanisms to speed the early market for zero-emission commercial trucks and buses. Drive to Zero’s goal is to drive market viability for zero-emission commercial vehicles across key segments in urban communities by 2025 and achieve full market penetration by 2040.
“As leaders in transport and infrastructure solutions driving sustainable transformation in our industry, the Volvo Group is proud to pledge our support for Drive to Zero and its ambition to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040,” said Volvo Group North America Chairman and Mack Trucks President Martin Weissburg. “The pledge to accelerate zero-emission vehicles aligns with our own commitment to environmental sustainability, including targeting global, net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, as well as 35% of our global vehicle sales to be fully electric by 2030.”
“As one of the world’s top commercial vehicle and equipment manufacturers, the importance of the Volvo Group joining our Drive to Zero network cannot be overstated. This will align with Volvo’s ambition towards 100% fossil-fuel free vehicles by 2040, help connect the company to a wider network of committed partners, and help accelerate infrastructure development,” said Dr. Cristiano Façanha, CALSTART’s global director and Drive to Zero lead. “We are honored to welcome the Volvo Group to the Drive to Zero program and campaign.”
Drive to Zero and the Volvo Group recently participated in CALSTART’s Virtual Policy Summit – Driving California Forward, emphasizing the importance of leveraging California’s work to build an effective policy ecosystem of ambitious targets, strong regulations and targeted incentives to accelerate zero-emission commercial vehicles. California’s strategic blueprint is summarized in a recent Drive to Zero publication.
Drive to Zero complements the Volvo Group’s existing sustainability commitments, including being a founding member of the First Movers Coalition; launching cellcentric, a joint venture with Daimler Trucks, to further advance fuel-cell technology in the commercial sector; the establishment of sustainability targets in accordance with the Science Based Targets initiative; providing a Green Finance Framework; and being leaders in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings, Better Plants Program.
The Volvo Group is a longtime CALSTART member and frequent collaborative partner. Dawn Fenton, vice president for government relations and public affairs at Volvo Group North America, is a member of the organization’s board. In addition, Volvo and CALSTART worked collaboratively on Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions), a project focused on developing a blueprint to successfully introduce battery-electric Class 8 trucks and equipment into the market at scale.
Other Drive to Zero pledge partners include top manufacturers, commercial fleets, governments and infrastructure providers, including: Scania; BYD; New Flyer Industries; Arrival; IKEA’s Ingka Group; Ryder; Black and Veatch; Siemens; the California Air Resources Board; the cities of New York, Los Angeles, Oslo and Vancouver; among several others. Additionally, Drive to Zero counts 19 countries as pledge partners. A full list of pledge partners may be found at the program website.
Drive to Zero is an official campaign of the Clean Energy Ministerial under the organization’s Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI). Drive to Zero also coordinates a “Global MOU” of nations that committed to 100% sales of new truck and buses being zero emissions by 2040.