About: trucks
‘No thank you, Prime Minister’, Polish trucker says to British Christmas visa offer
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's proposed three-month working visa for European truckers just isn't a sweet enough deal to convince 35-year-old Polish truck driver Jakub Pajka to go back to Britain. And he's not alone.
A third of trucks surpass air pollution limits in real-world conditions, study finds
Almost one third of trucks driving on Spanish roads surpassed the EU's legal emission limits for NO2, a harmful air pollutant, a study commissioned by the clean mobility NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) has found.
Electric truck technology close to challenging diesel: study
Electric freight trucks will soon be technologically ready to replace fossil-fuel powered trucks, but the lack of fast-charging infrastructure will hamper uptake, a new study has found.
Denmark leads EU on deployment of zero-emission buses: report
Denmark has the most zero-emission urban buses on the roads in Europe, with electric buses making up 78% of its new vehicles, according to the latest data from Transport and Environment (T&E), a green NGO.
Nine EU countries voice opposition to EU ‘Mobility Package’
The number of countries opposing the EU mobility package grew from six to nine on Tuesday (18 February) when the transport ministers of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Cyprus, Malta and Estonia made their positions clear in Brussels.
Is technology about to overcome the ‘too heavy to electrify’ obstacle?
The scientific literature remains sceptical about trucks becoming battery-operated due to the cost and weight of large battery packs. But that could change soon as costs of battery packs continues to fall, writes Björn Nykvist.
EU needs clean vehicle procurement rules to boost e-mobility in cities
Many European countries and cities have implemented measures to promote e-mobility. But to create scale in Europe, a constellation of disconnected initiatives is not enough to drive the needed change and action must be taken at a European level, writes Folker Franz.
Using legislation to reduce CO2 emissions from trucks
Europe’s upcoming CO2 standards for trucks will be the first of their kind. Policymakers need to build enough flexibility into the legislation so that manufacturers can adapt as the process and technologies evolve, writes Joachim Drees.
Truck makers tone down criticism of Europe’s CO2 regulation
Under pressure from regulators, truck makers have softened their criticism of Europe’s first-ever regulation on CO2 emissions from heavy-duty vehicles, focusing their comments on the lack of recharging infrastructure in cities and motorways.
Seeing is believing: How redesigning trucks can eliminate blindspots
Sensors have a role to play for pedestrian safety, particularly for the areas around a truck where the driver cannot see directly. But they shouldn’t replace direct vision through the windows of the vehicle, writes Samuel Kenny.
EU lawmakers back 35% CO2 cut for trucks by 2030
UPDATE: Lawmakers in the European Parliament backed a 35% cut in carbon dioxide emissions from new trucks by 2030, in a vote on Thursday (18 October) over new rules that seek to fight global warming without harming industry.
Realistic ambition in truck CO2 cuts
The European Commission recently released its proposal on regulating heavy duty CO2 emissions. Rolf Willkrans describes the “not insurmountable challenge” ahead and calls for realistic yet ambitious rules to be adopted.
Taming heavy road transport emissions
Transport is responsible for a quarter of the EU's total emissions, and 25% of that comes from heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses. But countries are struggling to bring the levels down and it remains unclear what is the best way to go about taming such a problematic sector.
Truck makers push back against EU’s first ever CO2 limits
The European Commission’s proposal to mandate a 15% cut in CO2 emission from trucks by 2025 is overly ambitious, according to industry association ACEA, which said a 7% objective would be more “realistic” given the technologies currently available.
Electric trucks are necessary and coming anyway
Electric trucks will come – and fast. More and more studies show that they are not only feasible to build, but also profitable to operate. And zero emission trucks will be needed to meet the Paris climate goals, write Stef Cornelis and Thomas Earl.
Bulgarian truckers protest against ‘Macron law’
Hundreds of truck drivers blocked roads across Bulgaria on Thursday (17 May) as European Union leaders met in Sofia, protesting against proposed EU rules they say would cost them their jobs and put their firms out of business.
Ambitious CO2 standards for trucks are good for businesses, and the climate
The starting point for truck emission rules must be cost-effectiveness, writes James Nix. But it will take tough standards to ensure R&D is deployed at scale on most vehicles, he argues.
Truck industry braces for their first CO2 limits in Europe
The automotive industry is warning that an EU proposal set to be adopted on Wednesday (16 May) does not give enough lead time before limits will be required. But the US and China have had limits in place for several years.
Ambitious agreement on CO2 emission of heavy-duty vehicles
Coaches, buses and lorries are responsible for a quarter of CO2 emissions from transport. Soon, manufacturers will have to provide data on CO2 emissions and fuel consumption performance of their new vehicles. EURACTIV’s partner le JDLE reports.
Posted workers: Macron’s first victory in reforming the EU
After lengthy negotiations, EU member states found a compromise on Monday (23 October) on the reform of posted workers, one of the pivotal issues for the EU reform pushed by Emmanuel Macron. EURACTIV France reports.
Semi-automated truck convoys get green light for UK trials
The British government has given the go-ahead for the first trials of convoys of semi-automated trucks on UK motorways.
Commission eyes fuel efficiency rules for trucks as road transport looks set to grow
Europe lags behind the major world economies in regulating fuel efficiency standards for the fast-growing truck transport sector and the Commission is moving to address the issue with legislative proposals, a panel on the Future of Road Freight Transport was told on Monday (3 July).
How do you put a price on trucks’ impact on society?
Hauliers claim that trucks are overpaying in taxes and charges compared to their impact on the environment and society. But the reality is that road transport is now Europe’s biggest climate problem, writes Samuel Kenny.