CLECAT — 2025-06-27
News from Brussels
The European Commission adopted on 27 June a proposal to amend the Eurovignette Directive to extend the possibility to exempt zero-emission trucks for road tolls and user charges. As pledged in its Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector, the Commission proposes to extend the current exemption period from 31 December 2025 to 30 June 2031, providing a significant incentive for companies to invest in zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles.
The proposed exemption period will be aligned with the EU CO₂ standards for new heavy-duty vehicles, which aim for a 43% emissions reduction by 2030. Since the upfront cost of zero-emission vehicles remains higher than that of conventional HDVs, making them less attractive to buyers, financial incentives to reduce operational costs are essential to support companies in transitioning their fleets to ZEVs
CLECAT strongly welcomes the Commission proposal which is in line with our position paper. The slow adoption of zero-emission vehicles in the road freight sector is attributed to significant operational and financial challenges. The lack of charging and refuelling infrastructure, high purchase costs, and limited financing options hinder the widespread use of these cleaner technologies. The proposed exemption period until mid-2031 provides a clear signal, offering the investment certainty needed by the freight sector. This is an important step towards advancing the decarbonisation of road freight.