ACEA — 2026-01-20
News from Brussels
In a joint letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, IRU, ACEA and T&E – representing road transport operators, vehicle manufacturers and civil society – call for urgent action to prevent a funding gap following the exhaustion of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF).
Created as part of the CEF Transport programme’s support for alternative fuels infrastructure, AFIF has enabled around EUR 3 billion of investment in projects across the EU. This made possible the critical expansion of infrastructure networks across the EU. Current Brussels discussions point to a possible break in support in 2026–2027.
Without a dedicated successor instrument foreseen before the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework begins in 2028, the deployment of charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles risks losing momentum – just as zero-emission trucks are entering the market and investments are scaling up across the value chain.
IRU EU Director Raluca Marian said, “What signal would the EU send to the market if it pauses funding precisely when deployment is finally taking off?
For transport operators, the challenge is particularly acute: companies may be ready to invest in more expensive zero-emission vehicles, but with the sector’s thin margins, such investments are not realistic if the availability of charging infrastructure is not guaranteed.
EU support for charging infrastructure is vital — and especially targeted support for depot charging, which will remain the backbone of commercial vehicle charging by ensuring operational control and predictable costs.”
ACEA’s Chief Commercial Vehicles Officer, Thomas Fabian, said: “If Europe is serious about decarbonising road transport, it must ensure continuous support for heavy-duty charging and refuelling infrastructure. Infrastructure deployment needs to keep pace with vehicle rollout and operator’s investment cycles. A break in funding would risk slowing adoption and weakening Europe’s industrial competitiveness at a critical moment. What is needed now is continuity and acceleration, not hesitation.”
The organisations call on the Commission to ensure continuity of EU-level support, either by extending AFIF or by mobilising alternative EU funding instruments in close cooperation with Member States. They stress that funding must cover the full infrastructure chain, including public charging and refuelling points, depot charging, grid connections and energy storage solutions, which are essential for the daily operation of zero-emission trucks.
T&E Fleets and Freight Director Stef Cornelis said, “AFIF is one of Europe’s most effective funding tools. From Portugal to Romania, truck charging infrastructure projects are kicking off. Reliable charging across the continent is key to make Europe’s logistics sector switch to electric trucks."
“The European Commission must now boost funding and provide investment certainty for the power and logistics sector. Now is not the time to pull the plug and stop the momentum.”
Maintaining momentum in infrastructure deployment is essential to support investment decisions, enable cross-border operations and ensure that the EU’s transition to zero-emission road freight can be delivered in practice.