How public health events influence the adoption of alternative fuel trucks at the city level: Insights from China's 2020 COVID-19 data

Abstract

Amid rising concerns about greenhouse gas effects and the increasing frequency of public health events like COVID-19, transitioning to cleaner energy in transportation becomes crucial. This study examines how various factors, particularly public health events, influence cities' adoption of alternative fuel trucks. Both the duration and intensity of such health events are quantified to enhance the generalizability of the findings. Key conclusions include: (a) Only cities focused on high-tech and light manufacturing show significant influence from public health events, explaining over 18% of the adoption variance. (b) The interaction between event duration and the total incomes of industrial enterprises offers 10% more explanatory power than the interaction between event strength and the same economic factor. (c) Enhanced interaction effects stemming from industrial emissions underscore the significance of environmental policies, incentives for green transportation, and the scale of enterprise development. These findings provide suggestions for cities addressing sustainable transportation challenges in the face of recurring health crises and offer strategic insights for the burgeoning alternative fuel truck industry.