The EPA’s latest “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles”, now in its third phase, stipulates the maximum permitted emissions in grams per ton-mile that will be allowed for each subcategory of vehicle – divided according to its weight and application.

MoRTH has issued a new regulation mandating that the trucks manufactured on and after October 1, 2025, must be fitted with air conditioning for drivers; the new regulation will apply to trucks above 3.5 tons gross vehicle weight (GVW) – applies to trucks in the N2 and N31 categories.

The European Parliament in Brussels has agreed improved Weights and Dimensions Directive rules, moving from an initial 40-tonne heavy-goods gross vehicle weight limit to 44-tonnes. The caveat, however, is that after 2034, these weight exemptions will only apply to zero-emission vehicles.

From 7 July this year, all newly registered vehicles in the European Union must comply with the second tranche of rules known as the ‘General Safety Regulation’ (“GSR II”). These regulations will require all new road vehicles to be installed with more advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) which employ some of the latest innovations being made at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence. These include systems for intelligent speed assistance; reversing detection with cameras and/or sensors; attention warnings in case of driver drowsiness or distraction; event data recorders; and emergency stop signals.

The German Ministry of Transport confirmed to local media, that this is the last time the federal government funds or subsidises e-buses or e-trucks. Funds allocated for projects up until 2027 will remain. A combination of high inflation, energy instability (gas supply from Russia) and a downturn in productivity has resulted in the German government revising its 2024 economic forecast down from 1.3% to just 0.2%.

For the first time, the legislation covers cars, vans, and heavy-duty vehicles in one single piece of legislation. The above-mentioned agreement retains the Euro 6 emissions limits for cars and vans but adds stricter limits for buses and trucks, whilst introducing new limits for particles emitted from the exhaust, tyres and brakes.

While the city of Jakarta commits to being fully electric by 2030, the Indonesian and South Korean governments have signed a bilateral cooperation agreement to develop a public transportation network using battery-powered buses across cities in Indonesia.

According to the Department for Transport, all new sales of cars and vans powered solely by an internal combustion engine (ICE) will be banned by 2035, with heavy-goods vehicles following suit in 2040. This has now become law in the UK, as part of the country's Net Zero Strategy.