European lawmakers agree on a deal to limit diesel truck pollution

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European lawmakers have agreed to ban EU sales of almost all new diesel trucks by 2040 as part of the bloc’s fight against climate change.

MEPs and member states on Thursday approved the terms of legislation under which manufacturers must reduce the average emissions of new heavy vehicles sold in the EU by 45 percent between 2020 and 2030, increasing to 90 percent by 2040. They must now be amended. The legislation was ratified by the European Parliament and member states before it entered into force.

Europe’s largest truck makers, including Volvo, Daimler Truck and Scania, pledged three years ago to phase out new diesel sales by the end of the next decade.

However, the industry has complained that the shift to electric and hydrogen battery-powered vehicles is being held back by a lack of charging and recharging infrastructure – a particular challenge for heavy vehicles that may be delayed by long charging times.

They also called for support to help transport companies switch from diesel models to zero-emission alternatives.

National governments and members of the European Parliament put concerns aside when setting targets. They also rejected the idea of ​​allowing the use of “e-fuel” made from captured carbon.

Brussels exempted cars running on this type of fuel from the ban on sales of combustion engine models starting in 2035, after pressure from Germany.

Daimler Truck is among the heavy vehicle makers that have already promised to stop selling diesel models before 2040, but the German company said customers need more incentives to switch.

“As long as there is insufficient hydrogen charging and refueling infrastructure available across Europe, and as long as the operating costs of diesel vehicles over the life cycle are cheaper, customers will continue to buy diesel,” she said.

The Transport and Environment Group, a European lobby group, estimates that if the deal is formally approved, 30 percent of trucks sold in 2030 and at least three-quarters in 2040 will be powered by electricity or hydrogen.

After cars, heavy vehicles are the second biggest transport polluter in Europe, accounting for a quarter of emissions from road transport.

“It is clear that the EU is telling truck makers when almost all of their vehicles must be zero-emission,” said Fedor Unterloner, T&E’s charging director. “European producers now have a clear path to ramp up production of electric and hydrogen platforms and are preparing to take on the challenge posed by Tesla.” American cars) and Chinese competitors.

The rules apply to vehicles weighing more than 5 tons. Specialized vehicles such as garbage trucks and cement mixers will be exempt until 2035. Urban buses with combustion engines will be banned from 2035.

Tractors, other agricultural vehicles, fire engines and other small-sized vehicles are exempt.

ACEA, the industry lobby group, said trucks carry 77 percent of all goods transported by road in the European Union. There must be more than 400,000 zero-emission trucks on the road by 2030 to achieve the goal.

“It is particularly welcome to see calls for e-fuel loopholes – which in effect would extend the life of the combustion engine and transfer money,” said Sandra Rowling, head of transport at the Climate Group, which helps companies go green. Zero emission technologies have been resisted.

“This new regulation will stimulate the market to find zero-emission solutions such as electric trucks.”