Trucks
Trucks
As part of its ambition to be carbon-neutral by 2050, the EU updated its CO2 standards for heavy-duty trucks in May 2024. The latest changes are designed to quicken the pace of development of low- and zero-emissions vehicles and will affect both manufacturers and truck owners.
The EU’s CO2 standards were originally introduced in 2019 before being revised in May 2024, as part of the EU’s Fit for 55 strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 (and ultimately achieving climate neutrality by 2050).
The most significant change to the revised standard is that the emissions reduction target for heavy-duty trucks in 2030 has been increased from -30% to -43% (compared to 2019 levels).
New targets have also been introduced, including a 65% reduction by 2035 and 90% by 2040. The original target of 15% lower emissions by 2025 remains.
EU’s new CO2 reduction targets for heavy-duty trucks
VECTO, the simulation tool developed by the EU to quantify CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, will continue to be used for calculating values and emissions classes for each vehicle. It will also be used to track and measure progress towards the EU’s CO2 targets.
In addition, the revised CO2 standards will now apply to a broader range of vehicles, encompassing 6x4 and 8x4 configurations as well as 4x2s between 7.4 and 16 tonnes. They will also apply to trailers due to the impact they have on a vehicle’s fuel consumption.
“The purpose of these changes is to really accelerate CO2 reductions from heavy-duty vehicles, with the 2050 target in mind,” says Ylva Dalerstedt, Segment Manager Long Haul, Volvo Trucks.
“The biggest impact will still be on truck manufacturers, who will need to invest even more in developing low and zero emissions technologies. And with these changes, trailer manufacturers will be impacted too.”
Truck owners can expect to see a broader range of options when purchasing a new truck, and more possibilities for reducing their own environmental impact.
The EU’s CO2 standards are aimed at truck manufacturers and as such, the responsibility will be on them to develop low- and zero-emission vehicles to help meet the new targets.
The biggest impact truck owners will experience will be new vehicles with increasingly lower CO2 footprints and a broader range of options when it comes to zero emission trucks. At the same time, truck manufacturers will need to phase out vehicles and features that negatively affect CO2 footprints.
“Not only will new drivelines increase but conventional combustion engines will need to become more efficient if manufacturers are to meet the new targets,” says Ylva. “For customers, this will mean lower energy consumption and financial savings. It will also help them save on taxes and road tolls linked to CO2 emissions, while good VECTO ratings could increase a vehicle’s second-hand value.”
This will leave truck owners with important choices on whether to continue investing in conventional drivelines or explore their options with new technologies such as battery electric vehicles or gas-powered trucks.
Many businesses are increasingly required to accurately report on their own CO2 emissions. In some instances, these demands come from their own customers but also from governments and public authorities.
For example, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which has been effective since January 2023, means all large companies operating in the EU are legally required to report their sustainability performance.
However, while VECTO ratings can help guide companies towards purchasing vehicles with reduced climate impact, the tool itself cannot contribute directly to sustainability reporting or fulfilling CSRD requirements.
“VECTO is based on a combination of simulations and measurements and is not an exact CO2 footprint,” says Ylva. “For that you need to factor in the vehicle’s actual milage and fuel consumption. And it should be noted that there are other factors that affect a vehicle’s CO2 footprint, such as the driver and the climate impact from energy production. These factors are not covered by VECTO’s simulations.”
Alternatively, there is a range of telematic and digital services available that can accurately measure a vehicle’s energy consumption and CO2 emissions in real time.
When purchasing a new truck, calculating a lifecycle assessment (LCA) will help show its complete climate impact including emissions from the truck’s production and from production of its energy source.
For more information on some of the topics mentioned above, you might be interested in the following articles:
The Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (VECTO) was put into force in 2019 as part of the EU’s original CO2 legislation. Its purpose is to simulate CO2 emissions and fuel consumption for any given truck combination, based on data input from the manufacturer. As of January 1, 2019, all new trucks sold in the EU with a gross vehicle weight of over 3500 kg, must come with a certified CO2 and fuel consumption declaration, created by VECTO.
