An alliance consisting of Europe's largest truckmakers has pledged to end the sale of diesel-powered vehicles by 2040 - a decade earlier than originally planned.
Trucks. Credit: Rab Lawrence / Flickr
Trucks. Credit: Rab Lawrence / Flickr
The seven companies - Daf, Daimler, Ford, Iveco, Man, Scania and Volvo - have together pledged to phase out the use of traditional combustion engines and shift the focus to hydrogen and other clean fuels, as well as battery technology.
Collectively, it is estimated that the industry will invest €50-100 billion on new technologies.
The truckmakers are working with Germany's Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, under the umbrella of EU automaker association ACEA, to look into the best approaches and new technologies.
The pledge - which was signed by the CEOs of the seven truck businesses - also makes a call for increased investment in energy grids, as well as a higher carbon tax across Europe to act as a driver for change.
The pledge comes amid a backdrop of tightening regulations as governments across Europe seek to cut emissions from road transport in order to reach climate targets.
The EU has said it plans to cut CO² emissions by 50% by 2030.
The UK is set to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars including hybrids by 2035 and is to launch a consultation of the end of the use of diesel lorries.
Read more: UK to ban all sales of diesel and petrol vehicles by 2030
Professor Johan Rockström told the FT that delivery of freight is one of the most challenging areas facing companies looking to decarbonise.
“It’s the backbone of any society in the world today, but we have to recognise that they are very dependent on the internal combustion engines to transport all the goods of every industry,” he said.
The Potsdam Institute has previously worked with the seafood industry in its efforts to decarbonise by working alongside some of the largest players to enact changes that could then be followed by smaller companies.
While vehicles with battery electric systems work well for inner-city delivery vans, long-distance haulage trucks still require the use of diesel as a result of the need to charge.
Read more: World's first hydrogen truck fleet soon to hit Swiss roads
It is widely expected within the industry that hydrogen will be the most likely solution to the problem of long-distance trucks, with biofuels expected to be useful as a shorter-term solution.
Henrik Henriksson, chair of ACEA's commercial vehicle board, said: “There is no silver bullet; it won’t be that one technology will rule everything, there will be parallel technologies over time.
“They will come in different paces, but if we sit and wait for the perfect technology to emerge we will burn the planet.”
Any changes made by the industry will require a significant investment in either charging bays or hydrogen stations, not to mention upgrades to the grid so the network can cope with the sudden upswing in demand for fast-chargers on a truck.
“The basic grid needs to be concentrated so that we can charge at depots and at highways,” Henriksson told FT. “That is not a big investment, but that needs to happen.”
The alliance has also called for the EU to increase its carbon tax, with the aim of disincentivising new investments into fossil fuel technology.
Read more: Volvo announces world's first heavy-duty electric truck
“If politicians continue to subsidise fossil fuels, it will be very difficult for us, we need to change the behaviour of our customers, and of our customers’ customers,” added Henriksson.
“There are pretty hardcore commitments in this, we are sticking out our neck and saying quite a few things we haven’t in the past.”
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