EU Parliament plan for greener trucks will benefit diesel

The EU Parliament has agreed on new rules to accelerate the uptake of zero-emission trucks by granting trucks four extra tonnes to accommodate electric and hydrogen technology. But, T&E warns, by allowing this same weight increase for diesel trucks, lawmakers are giving polluting trucks a competitive advantage.

Between key national borders, until at least 2035, the weight limit for all trucks, including diesel, will be 44 tonnes. While long-distance electric trucks need the extra weight to compensate for batteries, diesel ones will simply increase their cargo capacity. T&E calls on lawmakers to avoid making freight moved by diesel trucks cheaper and putting electric trucks at a disadvantage.

Bernardo Galantini, freight officer at T&E, said: “The extra weight allowance should only support long-distance electric trucks by ensuring no payload is lost to accommodate batteries. Extending the same benefit to polluting diesel trucks instead only accelerates diesel sales, by allowing them to carry more than clean trucks. European governments should stop this diversion from a shift to zero emissions.”

Lawmakers have also agreed to harmonise the use of extra long and heavy trucks, so-called gigaliners. Although this includes an impact assessment on the risks of modal shift and road safety, the lack of a zero-emission requirement for these vehicles will attract further unwanted investments into fossil fuel-powered trucks, says T&E.