European truckmakers call for delay to 2030 CO2 compliance deadline

Europe’s leading truck and bus manufacturers have called for the EU’s 2030 CO2 compliance timeline to be delayed by three years, warning that infrastructure and other conditions needed to support zero-emission vehicle adoption are failing to develop quickly enough.

CEOs from seven major manufacturers – DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ford Otosan, Iveco Group, MAN Truck & Bus, Scania Group, and Volvo Group – issued the warning at IAA Transportation in Hanover.

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), manufacturers have invested significantly in zero-emission technology and now offer vehicles covering major commercial transport applications. However, it estimates that the wider conditions required for operators to adopt and run the vehicles competitively are at least three years behind schedule.

Just 2.4% of new heavy-duty truck registrations in Europe are currently zero-emission. The proportion remains below 1% in major markets including Poland, Spain and Italy, while zero-emission trucks account for 4.3% of registrations in Germany and 2.4% in France.

ACEA said the business case for operators making the transition depends on factors including charging and grid access, energy costs, CO2-based road tolls and supportive policy measures.

The association highlighted charging infrastructure as a particular concern. Fewer than 2,000 public chargers suitable for trucks are currently available across Europe, while ACEA estimates at least 700 additional truck chargers are needed every month. Fewer than a dozen hydrogen refuelling stations are operational.

Manufacturers are currently required to reduce CO2 emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles by 43% in 2030, 64% in 2035 and 90% in 2040. ACEA said missing the 2030 target by three percentage points could result in approximately €2.2 billion of penalties.

“We are fully committed to sustainable transport – the investments have been made, and a wide range of CO2-free vehicles is available today.

“But making them commercially viable at scale also depends on the wider ecosystem that is clearly delayed and not yet developing fast enough.”

She called for policymakers to accelerate the development of enabling conditions and for the EU to delay the 2030 compliance timeline by three years.

ACEA argued that imposing penalties on manufacturers if market uptake remains too low would not necessarily increase the number of zero-emission trucks on European roads. Instead, it warned that billions of euros could be diverted away from investment in technology and production capacity.

The association is also calling for faster grid connections, wider implementation of CO2-based road charging and changes to weights and dimensions rules to address the payload disadvantage faced by some zero-emission trucks.

ACEA said CO2-based road charging is currently effectively implemented in only four EU member states, while energy costs remain a key factor in determining whether zero-emission trucks can compete economically with conventional vehicles.