EU puts forward first ever CO2 standards for trucks

The European Commission is putting forward the first ever CO2 emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles.

Announced as part of the EU’s Third Mobility Package, the target states that new trucks will have to be 15 per cent lower in 2025 than in 2019. For 2030, a reduction target of at least 30 per cent compared to 2019 is proposed.

To allow further CO2 reductions, the Commission will aim to make it easier to design more aerodynamic trucks and is improving labelling for tyres.

In addition, the Commission is putting forward plans for batteries that will help create a competitive and sustainable battery "ecosystem" in Europe.

Safety measures include a proposal that new models of vehicles have to be equipped with advanced safety features, such as advanced emergency braking and lane-keeping assist system for cars or pedestrian and cyclists' detection systems for trucks.

In addition, the Commission is helping Member States to systematically identify dangerous road sections and to better target investment.

The commission is also proposing a strategy for fully automated and connected mobility systems. The strategy looks at a new level of cooperation between road users, which could potentially bring enormous benefits for the mobility system as a whole. Transport will be safer, cleaner, cheaper and more accessible to the elderly and to people with reduced mobility.

In addition, the Commission is proposing to establish a fully digital environment for information exchange in freight transport. This will cut red tape and facilitate digital information flows for logistic operations.