Driving Progress 2023: accelerating a zero-emission road transportation future

Driving Progress 2023: accelerating a zero-emission road transportation future

The transition to electric vehicles is accelerating, thanks to Drive Electric Campaign partners supporting commitments, policy actions, and ambition around the world.

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Report 2/3 WheelersBattery sustainabilityBusesCarsEmerging MarketsEuropeFreightGlobalIndiaLatin AmericaUnited States

By the Drive Electric Campaign

The 2023 Drive Electric Campaign annual report shares how our global network of partners contributed to progress toward 100% zero-emission vehicles of all kinds, including at least 10 meaningful policy actions per region.

Supporting nearly 250 partner organizations around the world with more than 380 grants distributed in 2023, the Drive Electric Campaign is accelerating the world’s journey to 100% electric transportation by 2050 – including electric trucks, buses, 2- and 3-wheelers, and passenger cars. Partners are working to make clean vehicles accessible for everyone, everywhere by supporting ambitious government policies and business commitments. While road transportation remains one of the world’s largest sources of climate pollution, together we are driving progress toward our climate goals and reducing harmful air pollution.

Inside the report:

How our partners contributed to a breakout year for zero-emission trucks across Europe, the U.S., India, and beyond
Inspiring stories of global momentum on zero-emission vehicles, from the first all-electric rally in Africa, to new EV standards and targets in Canada, Mexico, Australia, and supportive policy models and actions in France, Nigeria, and Poland
A look at some of the 116 global policy actions supported by Drive Electric Campaign partners, including where and how the policies will advance electric transportation
An overview of Drive Electric Campaign global grantmaking in 2023
What’s next – and what’s needed – to strengthen the transition to zero-emission vehicles and ensure this critical climate technology is on track for emissions reductions

Advancing ambitious policies

In every region we track, our partners helped advance at least 10 meaningful policy actions this year alone. Drive Electric partners help support ambitious policies through technical assistance, research, communications, and more activities focused on reducing tailpipe pollution and speeding the shift to clean transportation. Our latest progress report shares more about specific policy advancements around the world.

Funding all modes

With increased collaboration and investment from philanthropy, Drive Electric has expanded support for zero-emission transportation. Funding supports activities across all modes of road transportation, and in 2023 the majority of grants supported work on freight trucks. While many indicators, such as WRI’s State of Climate Action, estimate that the shift to electric cars is “on track” to meet climate targets, more work is needed to cut the emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles like trucks.

“By the end of 2023, governments and businesses representing nearly 40% of the world’s transportation demand had committed to 100% EVs by or before 2050. In every region we track, our partners helped advance at least 10 meaningful policy actions this year alone. From Latin America to Oceania, we are seeing an uptick in policy progress that backs up commitments to a clean transportation future.”

Rebecca Fisher

| Campaign Director

“Supply-side regulations, including CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, are the key policy approach to drive down CO2 emissions, bring down costs, and provide a much-needed market signal to manufacturers.”

Drive Electric Campaign partner, p. 11

“This is groundbreaking, no other major market worldwide has decided yet on a binding regulation that will enforce 100% fully electric vehicles by 2035.”

Drive Electric Campaign partner, p. 13

“Among all indicators heading in the right direction... sales of electric trucks and the share of EVs in the passenger car fleet saw the most significant gains in a single year, relative to recent trends.”

WRI State of Climate Action 2023

“We can envision a point not too far in the future where the first 2-, 3-, or 4-wheeler a family will own can be electric and run on domestically produced renewable power.”

Salvator Ndabirorere of ENVIRO-PROTEC in Burundi

| Drive Electric Campaign LEAP Fund grantee

About the Drive Electric Campaign

The Drive Electric Campaign is an ambitious, philanthropy-powered global initiative to achieve a global tipping point by 2026 leading to the electrification of all road vehicles by 2050.

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