European haulers and car manufacturers have joined forces to pressure the European Union to embrace the use of eco-friendly fuels in road transport. In a joint letter, the International Road Transport Association (IRU) and the European Automotive Component Manufacturers' Association (CLEPA) have appealed to EU lawmakers, requesting, among other things, authorization for trucks to use "carbon-neutral fuels as a long-term solution for sustainable heavy goods transport, alongside electrification and hydrogen."
In essence, they are urging the EU to consider eco-fuels as a viable option to achieve the decarbonisation of transport, a request that is already under review by the European Commission and has been addressed to the European Parliament and Council.
According to the associations, this measure could reduce emissions from commercial vehicles by a staggering 90% by 2040 compared to 2019 emissions. According to IRU and CLEPA, this change will affect the composition of vehicles available to transport companies in three key stages: 2030, 2035 and 2040, with a progressive increase in the share of zero-emission vehicles in each phase.
However, eco-fuels are not the only topic addressed in the letter; they are just one of five points proposed by the associations to address the immense challenge of decarbonising road freight and passenger transport. The second point concerns the charging infrastructure needed for a mostly electrified fleet. In this regard, the letter calls for the implementation of favourable conditions that take into account the security of carbon-neutral energy supply, charging and refuelling infrastructure, as well as the availability of mature and affordable vehicle technologies to meet ambitious CO₂ reduction targets.
The letter also calls for exemption of high-capacity vehicles from decarbonisation targets, especially those trucks that weigh more than forty tonnes and measure more than 18,75 metres. They also propose the inclusion of new vehicle groups in the CO₂ emission reduction targets for heavy vehicles.
Raluca Marian, IRU's Director for the EU, emphasized that "an abrupt and massive shift from a 1.500 km range in 40-tonne vehicles to a 300 km range in electric vehicles would pose significant risks, especially given the lack of charging infrastructure and network availability," potentially jeopardizing supply chains across Europe. It is important to remember that around seven million trucks, all equipped with internal combustion engines, are currently on EU roads.
