Truck makers have criticised new pollutant emission standards for HGVs proposed by the European Commission (EC) and said they risk slowing down the transition to zero-emission transport, writes Chris Tindall.
The Euro-7 standards are currently due to be implemented in 2027 for heavy goods vehicles, but the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) said there were limited benefits and it would heavily increase the cost of vehicles.
Oliver Zipse, ACEA president, said the EC’s proposals was ‘particularly harsh’ for HGVs and that it neglected the industry’s accelerating shift towards zero-emission vehicles: “The auto industry takes its role to reduce both CO2 and pollutant emissions very seriously,” he said.
“Indeed, last year we made a very constructive proposal for a new Euro-7 which would bring a major reduction in criteria pollutants, thus improving air quality. Unfortunately, the environmental benefit of the Commission’s proposal is very limited.”
