Truck makers call for high-capacity vehicles to reduce CO2 emissions

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As part of broader efforts in Europe to drastically reduce CO2 emissions, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) has called for a policy framework that accounts for high-capacity vehicles. The framework will allow such high-capacity vehicles, which are specifically designed to carry twice as much as standard trucks, to travel on dedicated parts of the European Union's road network.

Experience has shown that high-capacity vehicles are both more efficient and more productive than regular heavy-goods vehicles, consuming less fuel and producing more emissions. ACEA found in a recent paper that three high-capacity trucks could replace six regular trucks and reduce emissions by up to 27%. 

The EU recently fixed its first-ever CO2 standards for heavy vehicles for 2025 and 2030. “Truck manufacturers are committed to doing their part to bring down emissions,” explained ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert. “However, these efficiency standards for new vehicles will not be enough to bring down total CO2 emissions from road transport.”

It is expected that the demand for freight transport will grow substantially and high-capacity vehicles provide one way of providing a cost-effective means of coping with that whilst keeping emissions low and without having to extend or modify the existing European road network.

Mr Jonnaert added: “In order to allow the benefits of high-capacity vehicles to be felt right across the entire EU, we urge policy makers to enable the introduction of a high-capacity transport system across borders.” ACEA is also calling for harmonised requirements for such vehicles.

High-capacity vehicles in the form of European Modular System (EMS) combinations are already allowed in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, most German federal states, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. In these countries CO2 reductions have been confirmed in practice. Earlier concerns with respect to a possible modal shift from rail to road, wear and tear of roads and bridges, and safety have also shown to be unjustified.

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