In order to understand the driving characteristics of electric heavy-duty trucks in practical application scenarios and promote their usage to replace diesel trucks, this study analyzed the actual usage of electric and diesel heavy-duty trucks in a steel factory based on vehicle-monitoring data and remote online monitoring data and estimated the emission reduction potential of the application of electric trucks by using a mileage-based method and the greenhouse gas emission model. The results showed that the electric heavy-duty trucks in the steel factory mostly operated for over 14 h, with a vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) of 50–300 km each day, which could meet most of the demands of the transportation of the steel industry. The average daily energy consumption for most trucks falls within the range of 210–230 kWh/100 km, with higher consumption in winter than in summer, which can save approximately 18–26% in operating costs compared with diesel trucks. It is estimated that the usage of these electric heavy-duty trucks can achieve an annual reduction of 115.8 tons of NO_x emissions, 0.7 tons of PM emissions, and 18,000 tons of CO₂ emissions. To further promote the application of electric heavy-duty trucks in China, several policy suggestions, such as introducing priority road-right policies, promoting vehicle and battery leasing markets, and exempting zero-emission vehicles during heavy pollution days, were proposed.

Promoting the use of zero-emission vehicles is an important measure for reducing pollutant and carbon dioxide emissions from medium- and heavy-duty trucks (MHDTs). This study took Hainan Island as an example. Based on big data such as industrial layout and traffic flow, it clarified that the main channels of freight transportation on Hainan Island are concentrated in the northern region, including the surrounding areas of Haikou; the important ports of Haikou, Yangpu, and Basuo; and Chengmai and Tunchang counties. Furthermore, pathways for the promotion of zero-emission MHDTs are proposed, which can reduce exhaust emissions by 1549 tons of NOx, 62 tons of particulate matter (PM), and 3.60 million tons of CO₂ by 2030. Compared with the vehicle type categorization plan, the spatial layout plan can achieve higher emission reduction benefits in the medium term (2025). In addition, in conjunction with existing policies and planning requirements, this study also puts forward policy suggestions for the promotion of zero-emission MHDTs.