Impact of Truck Electrification on Air Pollution Disparities in the United States

Environmental Engineering Transportation Engineering Engineering Energy Engineering Environmental and Public Health Medicine
truck electrification air pollution United States environmental justice emission reduction health impacts grid decarbonization

Academic Background

As global climate change intensifies and air pollution becomes increasingly severe, reducing carbon emissions and pollutant emissions in the transportation sector has become a focus for governments and research institutions worldwide. Heavy-duty trucks (Class 8), as the primary means of freight transport in the United States, contribute significantly to diesel exhaust emissions, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). These emissions not only exacerbate climate change but also disproportionately impact public health, especially in disadvantaged communities and minority groups. While electrification is seen as an effective means to reduce truck tailpipe emissions, its reliance on the grid may increase pollutant emissions from power generation facilities, potentially shifting the pollution burden. Therefore, assessing the impact of truck electrification on air pollution disparities, particularly on disadvantaged communities and minority groups, holds significant practical importance.

The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) aims to promote a just energy transition by investing in clean energy and grid decarbonization, requiring that 40% of the benefits flow to disadvantaged communities (Justice40 Initiative). However, existing research has not comprehensively evaluated whether the combined effects of truck electrification and grid decarbonization can achieve this goal. This study fills this gap by analyzing the impact of truck electrification on absolute and relative disparities in air pollution-related health burdens at a national scale.

Source of the Paper

This paper was co-authored by Wilson H. McNeil, Jason Porzio, Fan Tong, Robert A. Harley, Maximilian Auffhammer, and Corinne D. Scown, affiliated with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Beihang University, and other institutions. The paper was published in March 2025 in the journal Nature Sustainability, with the DOI 10.1038/s41893-025-01515-x.

Research Process and Results

Research Framework and Methods

This study employs an integrated assessment framework to compare the impacts of diesel truck tailpipe emissions versus electric truck grid emissions on air pollution-related health burdens. The research process includes the following main steps:

  1. Truck Flow and Electricity Demand Simulation
    Based on data from the U.S. Freight Analysis Framework (FAF), the study simulates truck flows and electricity demand for 200 major freight corridors, including long-haul and short-haul routes. Using a vehicle powertrain model, the study calculates the charging demand for electric trucks, taking into account the impact of battery weight on payload.

  2. Grid Emissions Model
    The study uses the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Standard Scenarios data to simulate the marginal emissions impact of electric truck charging on the grid. Hourly marginal generator data are used to estimate pollutant emissions from power generation facilities.

  3. Air Quality Model
    The study employs the INMAP source-receptor matrix (ISRM) to simulate the contribution of diesel truck tailpipe emissions and grid emissions to PM2.5 concentrations. The ISRM model simplifies atmospheric physics and chemistry, enabling efficient computation of air pollution concentrations at a national scale.

  4. Health Impact and Disparity Calculation
    Using PM2.5 concentration data, the study estimates air pollution-related premature mortality and calculates absolute and relative exposure disparities for disadvantaged communities and different racial-ethnic groups.

Key Findings

  1. Impact of Truck Electrification on Health in Disadvantaged Communities
    The study finds that truck electrification significantly reduces air pollution-related premature mortality in disadvantaged communities. However, while absolute disparities decrease, relative disparities between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged communities increase, indicating that non-disadvantaged communities receive more relative benefits.

  2. Effects of the IRA Policy
    The study shows that IRA’s grid decarbonization investments significantly accelerate the reduction of health burdens in disadvantaged communities. Under a low renewable energy cost scenario, IRA reduces premature mortality in disadvantaged communities by 84%, while this effect is weaker under a high renewable energy cost scenario.

  3. Benefits of Electrifying Short-Haul Corridors
    The study highlights that electrifying short-haul (drayage) corridors yields particularly significant health benefits for disadvantaged communities. In the current scenario, 95% of short-haul vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are beneficial for disadvantaged communities, compared to only 33% for long-haul corridors.

  4. Exposure Disparities by Racial-Ethnic Groups
    The study finds that while absolute exposure disparities decrease for all racial-ethnic groups, relative disparities remain largely unchanged. Black populations consistently experience the highest exposure to grid emissions, and truck electrification may further exacerbate relative disparities.

Conclusions and Significance

This study reveals the potential of combining truck electrification with grid decarbonization to reduce air pollution-related health burdens, particularly in disadvantaged communities. However, the study also notes that relying solely on comprehensive truck electrification may not fully achieve the goals of the Justice40 Initiative, especially in reducing relative disparities. Therefore, the study recommends targeted strategies, such as prioritizing the electrification of short-haul corridors and reducing emissions from fossil fuel power plants, to achieve more equitable health benefits.

Research Highlights

  1. Nationwide Integrated Assessment
    This study is the first to assess the impact of truck electrification on air pollution disparities at a national scale, filling a gap in existing research.

  2. Multi-Scenario Analysis
    The study comprehensively explores the impact of the IRA policy on health burdens through high and low renewable energy cost scenarios.

  3. Targeted Strategy Recommendations
    The study proposes that prioritizing the electrification of short-haul corridors can significantly enhance health benefits for disadvantaged communities, providing important insights for policymaking.

Other Valuable Information

The study also points out that future research should further quantify the health impacts of upstream emissions from battery manufacturing and consider the contribution of non-tailpipe emissions (e.g., brake and tire wear) to air pollution. Additionally, the study recommends developing future scenario-specific ISRM models to more accurately predict changes in background air pollutant concentrations.

This study provides important scientific evidence for the health and environmental equity implications of truck electrification and offers practical policy recommendations for achieving a just energy transition.