Emissions from trucks, buses, and coaches have become a key target of the EU Council of Ministers.
Special attention was focused on the heavy-duty vehicle sector which is responsible for over a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector, according to the Council. The adopted proposal aims to encourage an increased share of zero-emission vehicles in the heavy-duty vehicle fleet across the EU countries.
Many of the leading consumer brand companies including PepsiCo, Heineken and Nike, have been lobbying the EU to set more ambitious emissions standards for trucks. The concern of global brands is based on the need to show they are responding to consumers’ concerns and are aware that increases in freight are associated with increased sales.
Despite some improvements in fuel consumption efficiency in recent years, emissions from transport are still rising, mainly due to increasing road freight traffic. The rising trend is particularly noticeable in Ireland where road freight volumes have increased by 14 % since 2019 according to the CSO.
The proposed new EU regulation introduces a dramatic fifty per cent increase in emissions reduction to be achieved by the heavy-duty vehicle sector by 2030. However, neither biofuel nor electric trucks, the two enablers to assist the haulage industry in achieving the targets, are readily available and affordable.
Minister Eamon Ryan admitted as much when responding to questions in the Dáil in March acknowledged that given the limited zero-carbon alternatives currently available to commercial operators, decarbonisation of the haulage and heavy goods road freight sector poses a particular challenge. And this was before the new targets were set by the EU Council last week.
Global brands like Unilever and IKEA have already started to buy zero-emission trucks, but state they need more availability and variety. Europe’s largest truck makers have responded, pledging to eliminate polluting diesel models from their line-up by 2040, but acknowledge the challenges of decarbonising the heaviest vehicles on the roads are significant.
The weight of the vehicles and the distances travelled mean they have to carry huge numbers of batteries or recharge more often. That poses problems for a logistics and haulage industry that relies on minimising downtime and running cost. The haulage operators across Ireland who are mainly small businesses with limited resources have also indicated the lack of charging docs, even if they can afford the high price of a new e-truck. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association have stated that demand for zero-emissions trucks continues to be very low, with electric trucks making up less than 1 per cent of new trucks sold in Europe last year.
Volvo Group, Daimler Trucks and Traton (formerly MAN Scania) Europe’s three largest truck makers, responding to haulage operator concerns have pledged to invest heavily in charging docks across Europe, but the haulage industry estimates it needs 300,000 chargers across Europe by 2030.
In Ireland, the Department of Transport has recommended public-private partnerships to fund the high-voltage charging stations required for large trucks, with county councils leading the way. Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, at the start of the year, launched the new Electric Vehicles Charging Infrastructure Strategy 2022 – 2025, which will see €100m spent on public charging infrastructure over the next three years. The worry for the haulage industry is that the investment caters for cars and that the critical delivery of the promised pool of high-powered chargers every 60 km on the motorway network will not be achieved.
Many in the haulage industry in Ireland are of the opinion that diesel trucks will still constitute the overwhelming majority of vehicles on the road in 2030, but some Irish businesses including Lidl Ireland and Guinness are forcing the change and have moved to e-trucks across their fleet. But for many, there is still a reluctance, as indicated by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry sales data which highlights the relative lack of take-up of the business community in terms of EV adoption of commercial vehicles.
Like many aspects of the journey to net zero, roll out of charging infrastructure is required quickly and there are many tried and internationally tested commercial structures for its delivery. However, there are regulatory and planning obstacles to be overcome and financial support becoming available at local and EU sources may be difficult to negotiate.
