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PROJECT PROFILE: CALSTART (2011 award)
Central, provincial, and municipal governments in China have made electric buses like this one a key part of its anti-pollution efforts. U.S.-made drive trains and other components are often incorporated into such vehicles. Photo: CALSTART
Clean Trucks and Buses: U.S. Technology Helps China in the Race to Zero
The partnership between the International Trade Administration and CALSTART resulting in the US-China Clean Truck and Bus Forum (“the Forum”) resulted in solid successes for the industry. Its primary goal was to drive $28.5 million in U.S. exports in the clean transportation segment, but by the end of its third year it already accounted for more than $29 million.
MDCP Award/CALSTART Match: $300,271/$662,190
Market Targeted: China
U.S. Industry Promoted: Hybrid, electric, alt-fuel and advanced trucks and buses, powertrains and components
Period: 2011-2014
Key ITA Collaborators:
- Todd Peterson, ITA Team Lead, I&A Office of Transportation and Machinery
- Josh Halpern, Global Markets Commercial Service Beijing
- Jim Pruitt, Global Markets Office of China
- Cynthia Torres, Newport Beach USEAC
Project Description:
- Demonstrate U.S. technology & promote matchmaking via clean-truck conferences in China.
- Produce markets and business guide.
- Support China delegation visits to U.S. firms.
- Educate China policy-makers on benefits of incorporating U.S. products in vehicle design.
Project Milestone Report (Part B)
Project Export Goal: $28,500,000
Exports Generated: $29,428,500
Exports Per Dollar of Award: $98
The Forum has helped U.S. companies secure partners for export, as well as helped dozens of U.S. companies better understand the China market for their products and how to do business there. Overall, more than 37 U.S. companies directly attended Forum Summits in China.
Perhaps as important, the Forum clearly identified those market and technology segments of greatest opportunity for U.S. and Chinese cooperation, and spurred promising follow-on activities for electric and advanced transit buses, and medium- and heavy-duty natural gas engine and fuel systems.
CALSTART has been able to directly leverage its Forum market knowledge, relationships and partners to create a new project between the U.S. and China called “Race to Zero.” The project is supported by the U.S. Departments of State and Transportation to focus on spurring a friendly competition between U.S. and Chinese cities to deploy and support zero emission and advanced technology transit buses and support vehicles.
U.S. Firms Showcased in China
The Forum Summits performed well in terms of their role in the overall project: they outlined China’s need for and commitment to new energy vehicles (“NEVs”); highlighted business opportunities in China; showcased U.S. companies and their technology value and availability; and brought together end users and Chinese company partners with U.S. companies.
The rapid strides being made by China in NEVs and the scope of its deployment goals have astonished many policy and industry leaders. There had been a perception that much of the Chinese NEV technology was at a rudimentary stage. While some of the early NEV deployments were not successes, China persisted and maintained a strong paceof investment and deployment, resulting in accelerated iterative improvement.
The Forum project has led to related follow-on activities besides the Race to Zero program. The Forum’s China Business Opportunity Guide continues to be used as a tool for learning about China export opportunities and market structure for CALSTART member companies and it serves as the framework CALSTART used to better quantify and assess opportunities for company success and future program endeavors in China. Combined with the Forum Summits, it has helped spur CALSTART’s next phase of work between the United States and China.
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CALSTART is based in Pasadena, California. It is a member-supported organization of more than 160 firms, fleets and agencies worldwide dedicated to supporting a growing high-tech, clean transportation industry that cleans the air, creates jobs, cuts imported oil and reduces global warming emissions. CALSTART provides services and consulting to spur advanced transportation technologies, fuels, systems and the companies that make them.
CALSTART contact: Bill Van Amburg
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