Industry groups warn on new EU truck CO2 rules risk to supply chains

In a joint letter to EU Executive Vice President Franz Timmermans today, IRU, the European Shippers’ Council, and FuelsEurope – representing road transport operators, shippers and energy suppliers – have called for the full and equal recognition of liquid carbon neutral fuels for internal combustion engines, alongside electric and hydrogen fuel cells, in proposed EU heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) CO2 regulations.

For a well-functioning and stable EU logistics sector, road transport operators and shippers must be able to decide which technology is best suited for different kinds of operations to achieve our common goal: carbon neutrality by 2050.

However, attaining this target depends on the technology options allowed by the upcoming legislation, impacting both vehicles and infrastructure.

FuelsEurope Director General John Cooper stated, “The success of the transition will very much depend on the technology options allowed by the upcoming legislation. There is no doubt that EU truck-makers development of electrification and hydrogen technologies will make great progress and can provide extensive substitution. Yet, the specificities of international road transport show that moving completely away from liquid fuels used in Europe’s logistics is highly likely to bring unnecessary risks for the sector.”

Carbon neutral fuels are also the most realistic option to decarbonise aviation, most maritime transport, and the existing fleet of road vehicles. The availability of sustainable biomass is more than sufficient to satisfy the demand in advanced biofuels for the three transport modes.