The European Commission’s proposal to review the CO2 The new Emission Standards for Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs) are the most important legislative initiative to regulate climate emissions from trucks and buses in Europe. HDVs – or all road vehicles over 3.5 tonnes that transport goods and passengers – are responsible for 28% of climate emissions from road transport in Europe, while accounting for just 2% of vehicles on the road. If no action is taken, these emissions will continue to grow.
To reach climate neutrality by 2050, trucks and buses must be completely carbon neutral. Zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) – which include battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) as well as hydrogen combustion trucks – are the only technology available that can quickly reduce emissions from new sales, and completely decarbonize heavy vehicles. sector in the long term, eliminating harmful air pollution. The committee proposes to increase its sales by reducing carbon dioxide by -45%.2 HDV reduction target in 2030, -65% target in 2035, and -90% target in 2040.
Disadvantages of the committee’s proposal
a company2 The -90% target may seem close enough to full decarbonization at first glance. But due to a number of shortcomings, the proposal would only reduce emissions from HDVs by 56% until 2050 (versus 1990 levels). This undermines the European Union’s climate ambitions and Europe’s opportunity to retain its industrial leadership in this sector. While the Commission’s proposal brings a number of improvements over the current regulation, it falls short in four key aspects.
It misses the goal of achieving 100% zero emissions.
The Commission’s proposal fails to deliver a target of 100% zero emissions and instead stops at -90% CO2.2 Reduction target in 2040. T&E analysis shows that the proposal would only reduce HDV emissions by 56% in 2050. In contrast, setting a 100% zero-emissions target in 2035 for freight trucks, buses and coaches, and in 2040 for vocational and non-vocational vehicles – Certified vehicles would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in this sector by 94% by 2050.
Analysis by TNO (commissioned by T&E) shows that this is possible from a technological and cost perspective. By the 2030s, all new sales in freight segments will have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to diesel while offering the same capabilities in terms of range, payload and drive times (including long-haul trucks and across all European markets). Therefore, participating legislators should:
Increased global carbon dioxide2 The target is -65 to -100% in 2035 for trucks, buses and coaches
Its 2030 target is too low and lags behind industry plans
Although the committee’s proposal increases global carbon dioxide2 The target for trucks, buses and coaches is from the current -30% to -45% in 2030, which is well below what is needed to increase the supply of clean trucks and buses quickly enough. T&E analysis shows that global CO2 increases2 The target of -65% in 2030 would result in only an 8% increase in zero-emission trucks on European roads compared to what truck makers have publicly announced production up to 2030. Participating legislators should therefore:
Increased global carbon dioxide2 Target -45 to -65% for trucks, buses and coaches in 2030
It leaves 20% of HDV sales unregulated
The proposal continues to exempt small trucks as well as so-called “professional” and “non-certified” vehicles. This means that climate emissions from vehicles driving through our cities every day, including delivery, garbage and construction trucks, are not regulated at all. Together, these exempt vehicles account for approximately 20% of HDV sales and 12% of fleet emissions.
Vans, vocational and non-certified vehicles should also be included in the list and contribute their fair share to decarbonisation of the sector. Professional vehicles should be regulated by the CO2 Goal. Uncertified vehicles, including pickup trucks, must be regulated by a ZEV target, which requires manufacturers to sell a certain share of ZEVs from a given year. Therefore, participating legislators should:
Introduce a company2 Targets for vocational trucks of -35% (2030), -85% (2035), and 100% (2040)Introducing ZEV targets for non-certified trucks of 30% (2030), 80% (2035), and 100% (2040)
It defines trucks that are partially diesel-powered as zero-emission
Unlike CO2 Standards for Cars and Vans, the current definition of what is considered a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) under the HDV CO2 The standards also include internal combustion trucks powered exclusively by hydrogen. However, the Commission’s proposal changes this definition to also allow dual-fuel hydrogen engines partly powered by diesel to qualify as zero-emissions. While it is reasonable to define exclusively hydrogen-powered internal combustion trucks as zero-emissions, it is unacceptable to give the same label to trucks that are still (partly) diesel-powered, so participating legislators should:
Change the definition of ZEV back to 1 gCO2/kWh as defined in the current regulation
Why is the committee right not to include fuel?
A scoring system or carbon correction factor for so-called “renewable and low carbon” fuels, including advanced biofuels and e-fuels, should not be included in the CO2 HDV2 Standards because these fuels will remain scarce and expensive, will not help reduce emissions due to sustainability issues and may risk creating regulatory loopholes.
The use of e-fuel in the road freight sector is inefficient and unnecessary due to the existence of cheaper zero-emission alternatives. E-fuel will be the most costly compliance option for vehicle manufacturers, transport operators and society as a whole. T&E analysis shows that the TCO of e-fuel diesel trucks will be approximately 50% higher than the TCO of battery electric trucks, even when assuming that this e-fuel will be produced at a lower cost in North Africa or other favorable regions and imported. To Europe.
The industry is moving towards zero emissions, but certainty is needed
While the EU as a bloc is only just starting to negotiate what direction the regulation should take, 10 EU countries have already pledged to move to 100% zero-emission HDV sales by 2040 (AT, BE, HR, DK, FI , IE, LT, LO, NL and PT). They did so under a global memorandum of understanding, also signed by the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey, as well as Canada and the United States. California, whose emissions standards other U.S. states typically follow, recently proposed legislation to target 100% zero-emission sales for trucks and buses already in 2036.
Today, European truck manufacturers are world leaders in developing commercial vehicle technology. They have established a growing presence in global and emerging markets, including the United States, China and India. Failure to set a CO2 reduction target2 Emissions from 100% new trucks and buses would jeopardize Europe’s technological edge in the heavy-duty sector at a time when the United States joins China in the race for industrial leadership in the wake of the disinflation law. In the worst case, this could lead to Europe’s auto industry and domestic supplies falling behind and losing its global leadership to growing competition from abroad.
HDV company2 The standards are the key supply-side policy to authorize European truck makers to invest in, manufacture and sell clean trucks. If co-legislators in the European Parliament and the European Council do not agree on a more ambitious draft law2 However, it will fail to send the necessary signal and create investment certainty for European industry.
For more details, download the position paper.
