Motortransport — 2025-06-11
News from Brussels
Speaking in Brussels this week, Levin warned that Europe’s truck manufacturers “simply cannot carry” the billions of euros in fines they face if targets are missed, and that the consequences would ripple far beyond the factories. “We are the bloodstream of society,” said Levin. “Transport is the reason Europe is so efficient. If we lose our competitiveness as an industry, we will lose the jobs, the logistics capability, and the position we currently hold as global market leaders.”
Under current legislation, truck manufacturers must reduce fleet-average CO₂ emissions by 45% compared with 2020 levels by the end of this decade. Miss the target, and they face a penalty of €4,250 per gram of CO₂ per vehicle, with fines potentially reaching €1bn per OEM. “If we miss it by 10%, that’s where we end up,” Levin warned. “And not because we didn’t do our bit. The vehicles are ready. But if the other pieces don’t fall into place, we fail.”
Levin outlined four critical conditions that must all be met if the sector is to succeed: the trucks, the infrastructure, the business case, and the demand.
On trucks, the message is clear: European OEMs have delivered. Every major manufacturer now offers battery-electric heavy trucks for sale, and production capacity is in place. “We can guarantee that we deliver vehicles,” said Levin. “You place an order, you get a truck.”
Battery-electric vehicle sales currently account for just 3.5% of the EU heavy truck market - a figure that must rise tenfold by 2030. Not all of the 45% target is expected to come from electrification: around 10% will be delivered through improvements in drivelines and aerodynamics. But that still leaves battery-electric vehicles needing to make up the remaining 35% - within just four-and-a-half years.
Some EU markets, such as Sweden and the Netherlands, are leading the way, but others, such as Poland and Spain, remain far behind. “This isn’t a technology problem anymore,” said Levin. “It’s everything else.”
The second hurdle is infrastructure. There are fewer than 1,000 locations in the EU where a heavy commercial vehicle can be charged, and most of those are not equipped with the megawatt chargers required by long-haul operators.
The real bottleneck, however, is grid connection. “Even in my home country of Sweden, it can take 10 years to put a cable in the ground,” said Levin. “This isn’t just about building chargers. It’s about getting power to them, and the permitting process is completely broken.”
For operators, switching to electric only makes sense if the business case stacks up, and today, it often doesn’t. “The diesel engine is still cheaper to run in most use cases,” Levin admitted. “We need to change that.” Solutions, he suggested, include a mix of carbon pricing, toll reform, tax breaks, and new financing models. “It’s absurd that fossil fuels are taxed less than electricity in Europe,” he added. “We need to make it more expensive to emit.”
Even with the right vehicles, the right infrastructure and the right TCO, fleet operators still need confidence that customers will pay, and keep paying, for low-carbon transport. “No one buys a truck for fun,” said Levin. “It’s an investment. And if your contract only lasts a year or two, how do you justify buying a €300,000 truck?” Longer-term contracts, clearer signals from government, and strong commitments from public and corporate buyers will all be needed. “Public procurement should demand zero-emission transport,” he said. “We have the supply. Let’s create the demand.”
Despite the urgency, Levin expressed frustration at the lack of dialogue with the European Commission. “We are not passenger cars. It’s a completely different business model, and right now, we’re being left out of the conversation.” ACEA is now sending a formal letter to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen requesting urgent talks and an early review of the 2030 target. “We [European truck makers] fully support the goal,” said Levin. “But without action on infrastructure, TCO and demand, we won’t get there, and the fines will do real damage.”