Of the many decisions taken by the European Commission yesterday, only one concerns the heavy truck sector. Europe will not (for the time being) impose purchasing targets for zero-emission trucks on fleets.
This principle, which could apply to fleets of more than 10 vehicles, had sparked much protest because it seemed difficult to control and easy to circumvent and because it would endanger a large number of transport companies that would not be able to bear the financial costs of a new electric truck. However, the idea has not disappeared: it will be applied through Member States to fleets of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, but not to heavy trucks. At least for now, because the idea could resurface one day.
In addition, manufacturers should be given (but the text remains vague on this) some flexibility in applying the 2030 CO2 targets through what the Commission calls a “targeted change”. This change will allow manufacturers to collect more allowances before 2030 than in the current regulation. According to the Commission, this should encourage them to deploy zero-emission trucks sooner, while maintaining the overall ambition of the CO2 standards. Now to find buyers…
