09_18 Hannover Motor Show under discussion about CO2 emissions for trucks
Every year in September, the global truck industry meets in Hanover for the International Motor Show dedicated to commercial vehicles.
At the occasion of the fair , representatives of ACEA and 7 European truck manufacturers met to define common industry position on the proposal on EU standards for CO2 emissions from trucks. Truck manufacturers are willing to commit to ambitious CO2 reduction targets, provided that the reduction level is realistic. Given the state of the truck market and technology today, we believe that a 7% CO2 reduction by 2025 is ambitious, coming at a high, but acceptable, cost.
The truck market is very complex. Trucks differ fundamentally from passenger cars - they are primarily business tools that have a longer life cycle and need more time for technical development. When calculating fuel and emission savings, the mode of operation of the whole vehicle should be taken into account. Technology that works well in a laboratory can be ineffective on the road. Unfortunately, no new component, fuel or drive system alone will solve this problem, so car manufacturers will have to spend a lot of money to try out different ways in road conditions; only in this way decarbonisation will take place in the best for environment and economy way. Extracting a subgroup of heavy duty vehicles and awarding them a higher CO2 emission value that does not reflect their actual emissions can only result in a larger number of smaller vehicles being used to transport the same quantity of goods and, paradoxically, contribute to increased emissions.
Recall that in May 2018, the European Commission proposed the first in the region of CO2 emissions standards for trucks, suggesting targets for 2025 and 2030. This proposal is now in the hands of the European Parliament and the Council, which brings together 28 national governments. Parliament's key votes on the dossier will take place next month and will also be discussed by EU environment ministers at its meeting on 9 October
