The European Parliament has approved legislation mandating that nearly all newly sold trucks by 2040 must be zero-emission.
The green organization Transport & Environment (T&E) said this law was reached through negotiations between Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and governments and will support European manufacturers in competing with foreign electric truck producers.
“European truck manufacturers now have a clear roadmap towards producing only zero-emission vehicles. EU governments already have to charge targets that will enable the transition. Hauliers and the freight industry will have the supply of electric and hydrogen trucks they need to live up to their climate responsibilities,” stated Fedor Unterlohner, freight manager at T&E.
According to the guidelines, manufacturers are mandated to progressively reduce the average emissions of new trucks, aiming for a 45% reduction by 2030, 65% by 2035, and 90% by 2040. Starting from 2035, these targets will extend to vocational vehicles such as garbage and construction trucks.
Additionally, trailer manufacturers are required to enhance the emissions performance of truck trailers by 10% by 2030. By 2030, 90% of new buses must be zero-emission, with complete adoption by 2035.
Furthermore, the law requires that the European Commission must explore synthetic fuels for trucks. As per the agreement between governments and MEPs, the Commission will evaluate the possibility of proposing the registration of heavy-duty vehicles exclusively running on e-fuels within the coming year.
“The law agreed is a compromise that gives one of Europe’s biggest polluters a path to go green. Long-term investment certainty has been given to manufacturers which are facing electric competition from foreign rivals. They must not be diverted into dead-end technologies for trucks, such as biofuels and e-fuels, that cannot compete on efficiency and cost,” added Fedor Unterlohner.
T&E forecasts that the EU objectives will lead to approximately 31% of new trucks and buses sold in 2030 being zero-emission, with this figure rising to over three-quarters (77%) by 2040. When considering the entire fleet, it is anticipated that 30% of heavy-duty vehicles in Europe will be zero-emission by 2040. Following cars, heavy-duty vehicles represent the largest source of transportation pollution in Europe.
