EU combustion engine phase-out for trucks by 2040: Ambitious but achievable - within the right framework

The European lawmakers have agreed on CO2 targets for heavy-duty vehicles, which will phase out the sale of almost all new diesel trucks by 2040. Manufacturers must reduce the average emissions of new trucks by 45% in 2030, by 65% in 2035, and by 90% in 2040. According to the European environmental umbrella organization Transport & Environment (T&E), the law provides European truck manufacturers with planning certainty to switch to zero emissions and compete with foreign electric truck manufacturers.

"The EU is giving truck manufacturers a clear deadline by which almost all of their vehicles must be emission-free. European manufacturers now have a clear roadmap to ramp up the production of electric and hydrogen trucks and be prepared for the challenge of Tesla and Chinese competitors," said Fedor Unterlohner, Freight Manager at T&E.

The EU governments and Members of the European Parliament have also agreed that the targets will apply to vocational vehicles such as garbage and construction trucks from 2035 onwards. According to the NGO, this extension will subject an additional 7% of the heavy-duty vehicle market to CO2 targets. The negotiators have resisted pressure from the fossil fuel industry to create a loophole in the targets for e-fuels and biofuels, praised the organization.

Relatively moderate progress by 2030, but then ...

Trailer manufacturers must improve the emission performance of truck trailers by 10% by 2030 - a weaker target than proposed by the Commission. The CO2 target for buses has also been set at 90% by 2030 and should reach 100% by 2035. T&E estimates that the EU targets will result in around 30% of trucks sold in 2030 and at least three-quarters of trucks sold in 2040 being emission-free - powered by electricity or hydrogen. After passenger cars, heavy-duty vehicles are the second-largest source of traffic emissions in Europe.

"None of the stakeholders got everything they wanted, but the truth is, this is a very balanced agreement and positive news. One of the biggest polluters in Europe has found a path to becoming environmentally friendly. Manufacturers and the freight industry have gained long-term investment security. Now, we should begin implementation," appealed Fedor Unterlohner.

ACEA calls for adequate charging and H2 refueling infrastructure

Also, from the side of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), there was relative approval of the agreement. Truck and bus manufacturers "fully support an ambitious decarbonization agenda," the association stated from Brussels. However, the agreed timeline for implementation remains a huge challenge due to the lack of important framework conditions, the association emphasized.

"Electric charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructures, comprehensive carbon pricing regulations, and meaningful support measures for transport companies to quickly invest are, alongside emission-free vehicles, the most crucial prerequisites for a rapid decarbonization of the heavy-duty transport sector," emphasized Sigrid de Vries, ACEA Director-General.