EU Tightens Regulations on Reducing Emissions from Trucks, Buses, and Other Heavy Vehicles

The European Union has once again demonstrated that regulations and rules are a ‘wet dream’ for it, especially when it comes to CO2 emissions. The latest regulation is not even new but merely tightened, and as proudly stated by the EU Council, it strengthens the existing EU rules.

Specifically, the EU Council has adopted a regulation on CO2 emission standards for heavy vehicles, and the updated rules, as they say, ‘will further reduce CO2 emissions from road transport and introduce new targets for 2030, 2035, and 2040.’

According to the revised rules, the scope of the existing regulation will be expanded so that almost all new heavy vehicles with certified CO2 emissions – including smaller trucks, city buses, buses, and trailers – will be subject to emission reduction targets.

This means that most new heavy vehicles sold in the EU from 2040 will have to be zero-emission, as the law will impose a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions from new heavy vehicles by 2040.

The new rules maintain the existing target for 2025, which is currently set at a 15% reduction in emissions for heavy trucks weighing over 16 tons. In line with the EU’s climate goals for 2030 and beyond, the regulation further establishes the following new targets. A 45% reduction in emissions from fleets by 2030, replacing the existing target of 30%. Then, a reduction of 65% by 2035 and a reduction in emissions of 90% by 2040.

These targets will apply to medium-sized trucks, heavy trucks weighing over 7.5 tons, and buses, as well as to relevant professional vehicles such as mixer trucks or waste collection trucks from 2035 onwards, the EU Council states.

Ambitious Policy

Additionally, all new city buses will have to reduce their emissions by 90% by 2030 and become completely zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) described the EU’s policy as the most ambitious in the world and stated that the targets will only be met if governments align them with the rapid introduction of 50,000 public electric charging stations suitable for heavy trucks by 2030.

The EU’s CO2 policy for trucks has now received approval from EU countries and the European Parliament, meaning it can become law. This was voted on despite recent complaints from Germany and EU center-right lawmakers, who wanted to allow the sale of trucks with internal combustion engines after 2040 if they use CO2-neutral fuels.

In the vote on Monday, only Italy, Poland, and Slovakia opposed this policy, while the Czech Republic abstained, an EU official told Reuters. To gain Germany’s support, EU countries added a provision to the law last month stating that the European Commission will consider developing these rules in the future to possibly include trucks that will use CO2-neutral fuels.

It remains to be seen how manufacturers will adapt to the new regulations, knowing that today almost all trucks on European roads run on diesel.