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News from Brussels
Europe’s truck and bus manufacturers are leading road transport’s transition to climate neutrality by introducing state-of-the-art zero- and low-emission vehicles. But without the right enabling conditions their widespread market adoption is at risk.
The heavy-duty vehicle industry is a B2B market driven by total costs of ownership (TCO). The latest truck and bus EU sales figures for the first half of 2024 show growth for the latest zero-emission trucks, but swift market adoption is restricted by the lack of enabling conditions.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has compiled an overview of the current zero-emission vehicles available today or will soon come to the market. At least 45 different battery-electric truck models and 18 different buses and coaches are available today in various configurations that can be adapted to individual specifications. Hydrogen-powered (fuel-cell electric and hydrogen combustion engine) trucks are the second major zero-emission technology and the first trucks are already in operation today operations.
To enable a swift market adoption of these vehicles, enabling conditions must urgently be put in place that include a dense network of charging and hydrogen refilling infrastructure suitable for heavy-duty vehicles, effective carbon pricing and additional measures that support fleet renewal and transport operator investments. Although a major part of the charging needs can be covered by depot chargers, approximately 50,000 publicly accessible truck chargers are necessary to power the required fleet of battery-electric vehicles. These should include approximately 35,000 Megawatt Chargers (MCS) to ensure swift re- and top-up- charging during the regular mandatory driving breaks. In addition, approximately 2,000 Hydrogen Refilling Stations (HRS) with a capacity of at least two tons per day are necessary to enable the market adoption of hydrogen-powered trucks.
The 2030 target for truck and bus manufacturers requires a 45% reduction of CO2 emissions from new vehicles compared to 2019. Meeting this target implies that approximately 400,000 zero-emission vehicles will have to be in operation on Europe’s roads by 2030. Registrations of zero-emission vehicles must increase significantly and fast to align with the CO2-reduction targets.