Belgium –  Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) is lobbying for changes to EU policy to enable transition to carbon-neutral freight transport. Industry chiefs have stressed this transition cannot happen without radical policy changes by the European Union and the governments of all member states.

Earlier this year (April), the EU adopted its first-ever CO2 standards for reductions in carbon dioxide from heavy-duty vehicles, which will apply in 2025 (-15%) and 2030 (-30%); this marked not only a major change in emissions direction but a clear direction for the industry, which up until then had been all but clear. These stringent CO2 targets oblige all manufacturers to focus on, and massively ramp up investments in low and zero carbon powertrains. Already there is a growing offer of low- and zero-emission trucks available with many more in the pipeline. However, as the baseline for the 2025 and 2030 deadlines for CO2 reduction targets is to be based on emissions for the year running from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, the exact parameters are still unknown; many OEMs are expecting the CO2 emissions reductions to be higher.