HGV Emissions, the EU wants -90% in 2040 for trucks

The Commission presented the proposal with the new targets for heavy goods vehicles

(sustainabilityenvironment.com) – After the stop to the sale of endothermic cars in 2035 come new limits for HGV emissions, heavy goods vehicles and LGV, large goods vehicles. By 2040, commercial trucks can be sold in Europe that emit 90% less CO2 than 2019 values. The European Commission has proposed this, also setting two other intermediate deadlines: by 2030 the reduction must be 45% while in 12 years, in 2035, new trucks will have to cut their CO2 by 65%.

The proposal concerns not only lorries but also other heavy goods vehicles such as buses running on urban routes and buses for long-distance transport. For the urban ones, the new target requires that the new means are all to zero emissions already from 2030.

HGV emissions: less fossil fuels, less pollution

Overall, HGV emissions now account for as much as 6% of the total EU greenhouse gas emissions and more than 25% of transport emissions. And they have a worrying trend: from 2014 to today they are constantly increasing (except for 2020 due to Covid), driven by increased demand. Increase that all forecasts confirm for the coming years.

“99% of trucks and buses currently in circulation have internal combustion engines, and they are all diesel engines. This makes them highly dependent on imported fossil fuels and contributes significantly to air pollution. Every year, more than 300,000 Europeans die prematurely because of air pollution,” recalled Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans newspaper inconsistency.

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Other details of the proposal: car manufacturers will have to ensure a minimum incremental share of zero emission vehicles, while individual States may decide to exempt part of the urban bus fleet from achieving the targets in each time scale.

The proposal that comes judged frightening from Transport & Environment, ong that monitors the transition of all the section transports. “By 2035, electric trucks will be cheaper than diesel, providing the same mileage and freight capacity. Without a clear indication from the EU, however, diesel vehicles can continue to pollute our lungs and the planet far beyond the strict indispensable“, says Andrea Boraschi, Head of Clean Vehicles T&E Italy.