Europe’s truck and bus manufacturers, represented by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), have stressed the urgent need for enhanced conditions to meet 2030 zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) targets.
Despite significant investments in ZEVs, the share must rise from 3.5% in early 2025 to 35% by 2030, the industry body said.
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Key legislative frameworks and infrastructure, such as grid connections and the Weights & Dimensions Directive, are not yet in place, posing significant challenges.
Critical instruments such as charging prices and CO₂-based road user charges also face delays.
The ACEA said these factors threaten the sector’s ability to meet future demands.
Manufacturers are keen to discuss these issues in upcoming meetings with European Commission (EC) President von der Leyen and Commissioners Wopke Hoekstra and Dan Jørgensen, among others.
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By GlobalDataThey aim to outline the necessary steps to ensure a fair and realistic transition to climate neutrality while maintaining their commitment to the green transition.
ACEA’s commercial vehicle board chairperson and Scania Group CEO Christian Levin said: “We are already delivering the vehicles and offering zero-emission solutions for all transport needs, but most of the essential enabling conditions are not in place today.
“If all the other pieces do not fall into place, we will fail. This is not a failure of engineering; it is a failure of policy. The EC must accelerate the review of the HDV CO₂ Regulation to better reflect the interdependencies within the transport and logistics industry. This cannot wait until 2027.
“We need an urgent assessment and monitoring of the most critical enabling conditions for the climate-neutrality transition of heavy-duty road transport. The success of the climate neutrality transition does not depend on vehicle manufacturers alone. Yet we are the only actors exposed to disproportionate non-compliance penalties despite being most ready to deliver.”
The ACEA has also highlighted the importance of ratifying the EU-Mercosur and EU-Mexico free-trade agreements to enhance European automotive competitiveness.
The EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement, involving Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, aims to create the “world’s largest free trade zone”, benefiting more than 700 million consumers.
