A coalition of transport and logistics companies have called for the European Parliament to approve proposed new emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) ahead of a vote tomorrow.
In an open letter to MEPs signed by 38 major European freight firms and mobility providers, the signatories describe the EU proposal as "a landmark agreement which will reduce CO2 emissions in the road transport sector and contribute to Europe's industrial competitiveness, economic prosperity, and climate-neutral future".
The European Parliament will vote on a provisional agreement on the CO2 emission performance standards for new HDVs. The proposal would set targets for truck manufacturers to reduce the percentage of non-ZEV trucks sold by 45pc between 2030 and 2034, subsequently moving to 65pc for the period of 2035-2039, and by 90pc as of 2040.
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The principle vehicles targeted by the legislation would be refuse vehicles and industrial or construction trucks, while a separate stipulation proposes a target of a 90pc emissions reduction for urban buses by 2030, and 100pc by 2035.
HDVs, such as trucks, city buses and long-distance buses, are responsible for more than 25pc of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from road transport in the EU and account for over 6pc of total EU GHG emissions, the European Commission says.
"The new CO2 emission standards for HDVs will rapidly increase the number of zero-emission trucks available for sale over the coming years and thereby bring down technology costs and vehicle prices," the coalition says.
The non-profit Smart Freight Centre (SFC), a signatory of the letter, argues that "a strong policy signal from the EU will help rapidly increase the number of zero-emission trucks available for sale over the coming years".
And SFC points out that "several of the companies advocating for the adoption of the EU regulation have already pledged to pursue more ambitious CO2 reduction targets to transition their own fleets".
In a further sign of support for the future electrification of Europ's HDV fleet , Milence, a JV between European trucking heavyweights Daimler Truck, Traton, and Volvo Group, has announced a new truck charging hub in Varberg, Sweden. The company has further plans to extend its charging network, which it calls "the first large-scale public electric charging network across Europe for heavy duty vehicles and buses".
Ciaran has written about finance, politics and culture. He is passionate about e-mobility and what it means for our way of life.
Ciaran has a Masters in Ancient Philosophy from Oxford University.
