EU agrees CO2-reduction targets for trucks

Truck makers will have to cut CO2 emissions by 30% for new vehicles by 2030, and by 15% come 2025.

It is the first time binding CO2-reduction targets for trucks have been agreed at an EU level. The EU agreed in December on targets for cutting emissions from cars and vans.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) labelled the targets as “highly demanding”, especially as the baseline is still unknown.

“We can now only call upon member states to urgently step up their efforts to roll-out the infrastructure required for charging and refuelling the alternatively-powered trucks which will need to be sold en masse if these targets are to be met,” said ACEA secretary general, Erik Jonnaert.

ACEA’s concern stems from the total lack of such infrastructure today. Indeed, data shows that currently there is no public charging or refuelling infrastructure suitable for electric or hydrogen trucks whatsoever, it said.

Even in the case of truck-specific filling stations for natural gas (CNG and LNG), availability remains very low and patchy across Europe.

The need for the 28 national governments to implement an EU-wide infrastructure action plan is all the more urgent in light of the mandatory sales quotas for zero-emission trucks that the EU institutions have agreed to introduce from 2025 onwards, said the ACEA.

Jonnaert explained: “The introduction of a benchmark system for truck manufacturers totally ignores the demand side.

“We cannot expect transport operators to suddenly start buying electric or other alternatively-powered trucks if there is no business case for them and it is not possible to easily charge the vehicles along all major EU motorways.

“Policy makers must act to ensure that the zero-emission trucks that manufacturers will be mandated to produce can actually be bought and operated by our customers.”

Also, given that this is the first time the EU sets CO2 standards for trucks, it is extremely worrying that many supportive measures that could contribute to reaching the targets (longer vehicle combinations such as EMS, alternative fuels, etc) have been deferred until at least 2025, it said.