The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has said it has taken note of the European Council’s general approach to the review of CO2 targets for heavy duty vehicles.
While member states have taken on board some industry concerns, the proposed CO2 reduction targets for trucks and buses remain highly ambitious in light of insufficient enabling conditions, which should be assessed regularly through a comprehensive, annual monitoring process, the ACEA said in a statement.
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Director General Sigrid de Vries added: “Highly ambitious CO2 targets for truck and bus makers cannot be achieved by manufacturers alone. Lawmakers must do more to closely align the ambition levels set for vehicle manufacturers with those for other stakeholders, from infrastructure providers/operators to road transport operators, hauliers and shippers, and public transport operators.
“If the private and publicly accessible charging and refilling infrastructure is missing and transport operators cannot use vehicles as flexibly as conventional models, how should customers be convinced to switch to zero-emission vehicles? The least we should expect is a robust monitoring system to ensure that everyone – upstream and downstream – is on the same trajectory.”
ACES said lawmakers must also address the distinct infrastructure needs of very different vehicle segments. For example, coaches will require access to high power charging and refilling at very specific locations while long haul trucks need seamless access to enroute charging/refilling along European roads.
