By 2030, the Goal of 400,000 Low-Emission Trucks and Buses

The latest data on truck and bus sales in the European Union for the first half of 2024 indicate a rise in the sale of zero-emission trucks.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has compiled an overview of available zero-emission vehicles as well as those that will soon be available. Currently, there are at least 45 different models of battery-electric trucks and 18 different buses and coaches available in various configurations, adaptable to specific needs.

Hydrogen-powered trucks (using fuel cells or hydrogen combustion engines) represent the second major zero-emission technology and are already in use.

“To enable the rapid market uptake of these vehicles, it is urgently necessary to establish key conditions, including a dense network of charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure tailored to heavy-duty vehicles, effective carbon pricing, and additional measures to support fleet renewal and investments by transport operators,” stated ACEA representatives.

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For road transport to transition to climate neutrality, approximately 50,000 publicly accessible charging points for trucks are needed, providing the necessary charging infrastructure for battery-electric vehicles.

The association estimates that about 35,000 high-performance charging points (Megawatt Charging Systems) would suffice for fast charging and top-ups during mandatory driver breaks. Additionally, around 2,000 hydrogen refueling stations with a capacity of at least two tons per day would be required to facilitate the deployment of hydrogen-powered trucks.

The 2030 target for truck and bus manufacturers mandates a 45 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from new vehicles compared to 2019 levels. Achieving this goal means that approximately 400,000 zero-emission vehicles will need to be operational on European roads by 2030.

Registrations of zero-emission vehicles must significantly and rapidly increase to align with the CO2 emission reduction targets.

Jasna Dragojević