Skip to main content

US, China kick off Race to Zero Emissions Challenge

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and China’s Minister of Transport Yang Chuantang unveiled the US-China Race to Zero Emissions (R2ZE) Challenge during the eighth US-China Transportation Forum in Los Angeles and invited cities and transit agencies in the two countries to join in. The R2ZE Challenge is a collaborative and friendly competition that encourages cities and metropolitan transit districts in the US and China to deploy innovative and advanced non-polluting zero emission buses (ZEBs) in th
June 6, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and China’s Minister of Transport Yang Chuantang unveiled the US-China Race to Zero Emissions (R2ZE) Challenge during the eighth US-China Transportation Forum in Los Angeles and invited cities and transit agencies in the two countries to join in.

The R2ZE Challenge is a collaborative and friendly competition that encourages cities and metropolitan transit districts in the US and China to deploy innovative and advanced non-polluting zero emission buses (ZEBs) in their transit systems.

Secretary Foxx and Minister Yang Chuantang also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to further cement the transportation partnership between the two countries and their cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.  These areas of interest include safety, innovation and technology, energy efficiency, urban congestion, and public private partnerships.

The Race to Zero Emissions Challenge aims to reduce greenhouse gas and criteria emissions while fostering demand and innovation for zero emission heavy-duty vehicle technology.  The R2ZE Challenge calls for a long-term commitment by transit agencies to expand green-energy transit fleets with interim targets and a finish line.

The targets are considered met when buses are deployed and remain in revenue service on an annual basis.  Each target is based on the percentage of the operator’s bus fleet in revenue service that produces zero tailpipe emissions.  In both the US and China, the goal is to have at least 35 per cent of a participating city’s bus fleet comprised of ZEBs by 2025.

Related Content

  • Hydrogen Mobility Europe deploys first 100 zero-emission vehicles
    February 8, 2017
    Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME), the multi-country, multi-partner project which aims to demonstrate that hydrogen can support Europe’s future transport demands, has deployed its first 100 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) deployed by H2ME in Germany, France and the UK. H2ME brings together eight European countries to address the actions required to make the hydrogen mobility sector ready for market. H2ME plans to perform large-scale market tests of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and deploy passeng
  • New International Transport Forum secretary-general takes office
    August 17, 2012
    The International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD, an intergovernmental organisation with 54 member countries that acts as a strategic think tank for global transport policy and organises an annual summit of transport ministers, has announced that internationally renowned academic José Viegas of Portugal has taken office as secretary-general of the organisation. Elected by Ministers from Forum member countries at their summit in May, he joins the ITF from an internationally recognised career as an academi
  • OPINION: Pursuing transit-first policies is best way to cut car dependency
    April 3, 2023
    It's frustrating to see the UK’s new green strategy once again centre around EVs
  • New mobility + public transport = sustainability
    February 25, 2020
    Cities can introduce all the clever new mobility solutions they like – but if they are not linked to public transportation they will not be environmentally friendly, according to new research.