en.Wedoany.com Reported - The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz by the US-Iran conflict is accelerating the electrification transition of China's heavy-duty truck fleet. Data from provider CVWorld.cn shows that in the first three months of 2026, electric heavy-duty trucks accounted for 27% of all new heavy-duty truck sales in China, up from less than 20% in the same period last year; approximately 44,000 new energy heavy-duty trucks were sold, a year-on-year increase of 45%.
Since the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28, China's retail diesel prices have surged 27%, approaching the historical high set four years ago. GL Consulting estimates that at current fuel prices, the total cost of ownership for an electric truck over a one-million-kilometer lifecycle is only half that of a diesel truck. Although the sticker price of an electric heavy truck exceeds 500,000 yuan, compared to over 300,000 yuan for a diesel vehicle, buyers can offset nearly half the price difference through a government replacement subsidy program extended until the end of the year. Min Ji, Senior Analyst at S&P Global Mobility, stated that the war has driven up domestic fuel prices and will accelerate the replacement process for traditional trucks.
SANY Heavy Industry, China's top-selling electric truck brand, had predicted before the conflict that the electric tractor market would grow 50% to 250,000 units in 2025. Most electric heavy trucks have a range of about 300 kilometers, serving short-haul routes between industrial sites and transport hubs, but long-haul corridors are expanding, with SANY marketing models boasting a 600-kilometer range.
The energy shock is intensifying cost pressures on global logistics. The International Energy Agency described this disruption as the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. The US national average diesel price reached $5.65 per gallon in early April, up from $3.72 in February. GL Consulting expects China's diesel consumption to fall by 4.3% this year, while Rystad Energy forecasts a 5% decline.
The boom in the domestic market is fueling an export offensive. Several Chinese manufacturers, including BYD, Farizon Auto, SANY Heavy Industry, Sinotruk, Windrose Technology, and SuperPanther, plan to begin selling heavy-duty trucks in Europe in 2026, priced up to one-third lower than existing European brands. Chris Heron, Secretary General of the European Association for Electromobility, warned that the industry has only a one-to-two-year window to move first before new entrants seize market share. Volvo Group CEO Martin Lundstedt acknowledged that Chinese competitors are moving quickly and with full commitment.
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