China LNG truck demand soars with pollution curbs

Sales of large LNG trucks are expected to hit record levels in China this year as the government steps up an anti-pollution campaign that includes curbs on heavy-duty diesel vehicles, the South China Morning Post reports. LNG trucks account for about 4% of the more than 6 million heavy vehicles able to haul 40 to 49 tonnes of goods that are on China’s roads. But demand for LNG trucks is soaring as companies and manufacturers shift to vehicles that run on the gas that Beijing sees as a key part of its war against smog. Sales of LNG heavy trucks surged 540% to nearly 39,000 in the first seven months of the year, according to Cassie Liu, a truck analyst with the IHS Markit consultancy. That was partly fueled by a ban this year on the use of diesel trucks to transport coal at northern ports in provinces like Hebei and Shandong, and in the city of Tianjin.