European truckmakers push for three-year delay to 2030 CO2 targets

Europe's largest truck and bus manufacturers have called on the European Union to push back its 2030 carbon dioxide reduction targets by three years, arguing that inadequate charging infrastructure and high energy costs have made zero-emission vehicles commercially unworkable for buyers.

The appeal came from the heads of the continent's seven leading truck and bus producers, including DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Iveco and Scania, through the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).

Under existing EU rules, manufacturers must cut CO2 emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles by 43% in 2030 compared with 2025 levels, by 64% in 2035 and by 90% in 2040. Companies that fail to meet the targets face fines, though they can earn emission credits during the 2025–2029 period.

ACEA said zero-emission vehicles currently account for just 2.4% of new heavy-duty vehicle sales — far below what would be needed to meet the 2030 goal.

The executives said policymakers must first create the conditions for a faster shift, including accelerating the rollout of charging stations, speeding up grid connections, expanding CO2-based road tolls and reinvesting revenue from emissions trading into infrastructure and the uptake of zero-emission vehicles.

The intervention comes as EU policymakers debate a European Commission proposal to drop the bloc's effective ban on new combustion-engine cars from 2035, following pressure from the auto industry to soften green policies.