Europe is “nowhere close” to meeting its 2030 target to have around 300,000 to 400,000 zero-emission trucks on the road, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) and the European Electricity Industry (EEI) is warning.
The target is set out by the Regulation on CO2 Emission Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles (HDVs). However in 2023, electric trucks accounted for only 1.5% of the market, while electric bus sales increased to 14% of the market. The two organisations warned this week: “We are nowhere close to that target.”
ACEA and EEI is calling for a number of urgent steps to be taken to ensure the 2030 target is met and has this week published a set of policy recommendations to enable the adoption of zero-emission vehicles and the rollout of its supporting infrastructure.
The recommendations include:
- Accelerating grid anticipatory investments and permitting, to allow DSOs to make investments based on projected HDV charging demands.
- Fast-tracking charging infrastructure rollout for heavy-duty vehicles, whose charging cycles mostly happen during overnight depot, but also en-route at truck stops in the case of long-haul. The framework should guarantee that the needed energy can be provided when and where required, with flexibility options such as smart charging based on the drivers’ schedule.
- Developing harmonised grid hosting capacity maps to give the right investment signals to electric vehicle buyers and/or installers of charging infrastructure.
- Implementing a fair remuneration framework for DSOs, as it is essential for attracting private investment in grid infrastructure. Current cost benchmarks are outdated, and DSOs shouldn’t bear excessive risk from uncertain demand. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) should reflect today’s economic conditions and investment needs.
- Addressing supply chain bottlenecks for materials such as transformers, copper, aluminium, cables and electrical steel and reduce lead times for grid components.
- Promoting interoperable data exchange among market players to ensure grid planning and charging infrastructure development reflect the needs of HDV charging.
- Introducing prioritisation criteria for DSOs to better manage connection requests. This could be facilitated by classifying charging infrastructure for HDVs as “critical infrastructure” under the upcoming European Clean Transport Corridor Initiative.
Carol Millett is an award-winning freelance journalist with over 30 years’ of experience writing across a broad range of sectors, including road transport, construction and civil engineering, project management, private finance, technology, HR, and travel and tourism.View full Profile
