After cars and light utility vehicles, which will no longer be able to leave factories equipped with a thermal engine after 2035, Europeans have agreed on the fate of trucks and buses. Thursday January 18, the Twenty-seven and the European Parliament reached an agreement to reduce CO emissions almost to zero.2 heavy goods vehicles which will be put on the market in 2040.
“This is a major issue because road transport is responsible for 20% of CO emissions2 of the European Union (EU) »explains Pascal Canfin, president of the environment committee of the European Parliament, who is pleased that with this text, “we continue the decarbonization of the road”.
CO emissions2 new heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes as well as buses traveling between several cities will have to be reduced by 45% by 2030 (compared to 2019), by 65% by 2035 and by 90% by 2040. Contrary to what was decided for cars, it was very difficult to impose carbon neutrality on this sector. In fact, today only 1% of trucks work hydrogen or electric, while more than 10% of the vehicle fleet, before European legislation, was already driving without emitting CO2. The step to take is therefore significantly higher.
“Work on aerodynamics”
From 2035, these objectives will also apply to professional vehicles, such as garbage trucks or of construction. As for trailers and semi-trailers, they will have to reduce their emissions by 7.5% and 10% respectively by 2030, “what can be done by working on the aerodynamics of their design”, confides a source. Only small trucks, between utility vehicles and heavy goods vehicles, are not affected by this new legislation. Tractors also escape this. “In total, the text covers 98% of the truck market”continues this source.
For the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), the European roadmap means that“around 30% of trucks sold in 2030 and at least 75% of those sold in 2040 will be zero emissions”. Italy, which tried to obtain an exemption for trucks running on alternative fuels (synthetic or biofuels), was unsuccessful but the Commission has undertaken to study the matter later. Apart from the manufacturer Iveco, no industrialist in the sector wanted it. “Negotiators resisted lobbying from the fossil fuel industry”rejoices T&E.
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