Socio-economic analysis of weight allowance increases for zero-emission trucks

In 2023, TØI carried out a socio-economic effects analysis of increasing weight allowances for trucks (TØI report 1950/2023). This analysis concluded that such increases would yield positive socio-economic effects. The current report constitutes a follow-up analysis commissioned by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and assesses socio-economic effects of limiting weight allowance increases to zero-emission trucks. Our assessment covers transport costs, vehicle-kms, modal distribution, road wear, CO2- and local emissions, and other externalities, given three different zero-emission adoption profiles. Direct benefits of increased weight allowances are smaller when these are limited to zero-emission vehicles, because fewer vehicles are affected. However, most socio-economic benefits (e.g. CO2-emissions) are primarily driven by zero-emission shares, and only secondarily by weight increases. Restricting weight increases to zero-emission vehicles could speed up their adoption and thus their share. This would yield positive effects both for emissions reductions and socio-economic benefits, although the size of this ‘boosting effect’ has not been possible to estimate in the current report.