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Dec 06, 2023

Truck CO2: Europe’s chance to lead

T&E's recommendations for the review of the EU's heavy-duty vehicle CO2

T&E's recommendations for the review of the EU's heavy-duty vehicle CO2 standards.

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T&E's latest position paper on the revision of the EU truck and bus CO2 standards is published here.

The review of the HDV CO2 standards is the opportunity to put the European heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) sector on a trajectory in line with climate neutrality. HDVs are responsible for 28% of CO2 emissions from road transport in the EU, despite only accounting for 2% of vehicles on the road. If no action is taken, these emissions will continue to grow. The upcoming proposal by the European Commission could turn the 2020s and 2030s into the key decades to clean up trucking and ensure Europe's continued industrial leadership in the sector.

To reduce the EU's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reach climate neutrality by 2050, HDVs need to be entirely decarbonised. Given that trucks last on average more than 18 years on the road, this means ending the sale of all new freight trucks and buses with combustion engines by 2035, with vocational vehicles following by 2040. This would reduce overall HDV emissions by 95% by mid century, with only a small share of the remaining fleet relying on diesel.

Zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) are the only available technology which can reduce emissions quickly, decarbonise the heavy-duty vehicle sector in the long-term and eliminate harmful air pollution.

The European Commission needs to ensure that these voluntary commitments materialise by including the following key elements in its upcoming legislative proposal:

Download our position paper to find out the further legislative recommendations.

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