ACEA — 2023-01-26
Automotive Industry
In this seventh episode of the #ZeroEmissionTrucks series, Gerrit Marx, Chief Executive Officer at Iveco Group, and Jens Meier, CEO of Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), discuss the deployment of #ZeroEmissionTrucks to support the decarbonisation process of Hamburg port.
“We as commercial vehicle manufacturers are facing probably the biggest challenge in our industry, which is carbon neutrality and zero-emission on-road transport solutions, whether it is in commercial vehicles or in buses and people movers,” said Gerrit Marx.
But all actors involved in freight transport are facing this challenge. “The energy transformation and decarbonisation are the challenges for our port today, but on the other hand, it’s also a chance,” stated Jens Meier.
Collaboration between all actors is paramount to foster the transition to climate-neutral road transport and to reach EU climate objectives.
European truck manufacturers are already taking up these challenges with several dozen new zero-emission trucks – battery electric and hydrogen-powered – available in various configurations that can be adapted to individual specifications.
Customers and transport operators are also ready to embrace this shift as demonstrated by the Hamburg Port Authority.
“It was a fantastic feeling for the drivers. They are very committed,” Meier confirmed. “This is the future of driving trucks. We are fully committed as an infrastructure provider that we will also fulfil the grid and the recharging stations for the electric vehicles.”
However, to ensure the swift market adoption of these vehicles, the enabling conditions must urgently be put in place. Meier: “We together should ask for support, not just from the local government, also from the federal government and from the European Union.”
Marx: “I can guarantee you, and I think I can speak for all the truck OEMs, commercial vehicles will not be the bottleneck.”
“Charging and refuelling infrastructure specifically for trucks needs to be there in order to operate these vehicles competitively at ‘total cost of ownership’ (TCO) parity with diesel and other technologies. We are counting on politicians, regulators and lawmakers to make things happen,” Marx concluded.
Find the episode here.