As Qu Shaolong pulls his electric truck into one of the many charging stations that dot the Chinese coal hub of Yulin, the latest phase in the country’s energy transition is playing out in real time.
The roads in this part of Shaanxi province are filled with big rigs ferrying coal from mines to railheads. More and more of them are, like Qu’s, battery-operated, allowing truck owners to avoid diesel prices that have climbed steadily this year. The shift is changing China’s energy landscape.
“I don’t think anyone will switch back to diesel trucks,” said the 39-year-old, who has spent the last three years behind the wheel of an electrified hauler. “Nobody wants to return to a last-generation technology.”