Europe's Road Transport Shift: Challenges and Opportunities in Adopting Zero-Emission Vehicles
Key Ideas
  • European truck and bus manufacturers are driving the transition to climate neutrality with advanced zero- and low-emission vehicles.
  • The lack of enabling conditions like infrastructure and support measures poses challenges to the widespread market adoption of these vehicles.
  • To meet the 2030 CO2 reduction targets, approximately 400,000 zero-emission vehicles need to be on Europe's roads, requiring significant increases in registrations.
  • Enabling conditions, including charging and hydrogen refilling infrastructure, fleet renewal support, and effective carbon pricing, are crucial for the swift market adoption of zero-emission vehicles.
Europe's truck and bus manufacturers are spearheading the shift towards climate neutrality in road transport by introducing cutting-edge zero- and low-emission vehicles. Despite the progress made in the development of these vehicles, their widespread market adoption faces significant challenges due to the absence of necessary enabling conditions. The heavy-duty vehicle industry, primarily driven by total costs of ownership (TCO), has shown growth in sales of zero-emission trucks in the first half of 2024. However, the lack of infrastructure, such as charging and hydrogen refilling stations, hinders the swift market adoption of these vehicles. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has identified a range of zero-emission trucks and buses currently available or soon to be launched, with hydrogen-powered trucks emerging as a significant zero-emission technology. To facilitate the rapid adoption of these vehicles, a comprehensive infrastructure network, including a dense charging network and hydrogen refilling stations suitable for heavy-duty vehicles, is essential. Approximately 50,000 publicly accessible truck chargers, including Megawatt Chargers (MCS), and 2,000 Hydrogen Refilling Stations (HRS) are required to support the market adoption of zero-emission trucks. Meeting the 2030 target of a 45% reduction in CO2 emissions from new vehicles compared to 2019 necessitates having around 400,000 zero-emission vehicles operational on European roads by 2030. This ambitious goal highlights the urgent need for significant increases in registrations of zero-emission vehicles. Enabling conditions like infrastructure development and support measures are vital to drive the swift market adoption of zero-emission vehicles and ensure the successful transition of Europe's road transport sector towards climate neutrality.
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