(I) Continued Deepening of Electrification Strategies
Over the past six months, the electrification of semi-trailers has accelerated, bolstered by ongoing policy incentives. Subsidies of up to 100,000–140,000 RMB per vehicle are available for replacing old trucks with new energy heavy-duty trucks, driving a rapid rise in the market penetration of new energy semi-trailers. These vehicles have expanded beyond closed environments—such as ports and mining sites—into medium-to-short-haul trunk line transport (300–500 km). Multiple technological pathways—including battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell—are developing in parallel, with total lifecycle costs now clearly superior to those of traditional diesel semi-trailers. Meanwhile, battery technology continues to evolve; models with standard capacities of 400–600 kWh can now meet mainstream transport needs. Furthermore, standards for high-power charging and battery swapping are gradually being unified, and energy replenishment networks are expanding, effectively addressing key pain points regarding vehicle recharging and refueling.
(II) Commercialization of Intelligent Technologies
Intelligent technologies for semi-trailers are increasingly being implemented. Leading companies are promoting a “dual-drive” strategy combining electrification and intelligence, utilizing AI-enabled vehicle networking to facilitate carbon footprint tracking and intelligent scheduling, thereby enhancing transport efficiency. In closed environments, driverless tractors paired with semi-trailers have achieved routine operation, with the penetration rate of driverless container trucks exceeding 30% at some ports. In the realm of trunk line logistics, combinations of L4 autonomous heavy-duty trucks and semi-trailers have entered the mixed-fleet operation stage; the “one driver, multiple driverless vehicles” model can reduce labor costs by 30% and is steadily moving toward normalized operation. Additionally, lightweighting technologies for semi-trailers continue to improve; models constructed from high-strength steel reduce vehicle weight while maintaining load-bearing capacity, resulting in enhanced fuel economy and transport efficiency.
