The regulation for reducing heavy-duty vehicle emissions will come into force soon

On May 9, the Council of the European Union officially adopted a regulation addressing CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, which amends and strengthens the existing EU standards. The revised standards will further reduce CO2 emissions in road transport and set new targets for 2030, 2035, and 2040.

The revised standards extend the scope of the current regulation to establish emission reduction targets for almost all new certified CO2-emitting heavy-duty vehicles, including smaller trucks, urban buses, coaches, and trailers.

The new standards maintain the current 2025 target of a 15% reduction in emissions compared to 16-tonne heavy-duty vehicles. In line with the EU's 2030 and subsequent climate goals, the regulation sets the following new targets:

• A 45% reduction in emissions starting from 2030 (up from 30%)
• A 65% reduction in emissions starting from 2035
• A 90% reduction in emissions starting from 2040

These targets apply to medium-sized trucks, heavy-duty vehicles over 7.5 tonnes, coaches, and corresponding specialized vehicles from 2035 onwards.

For urban buses, the new standards stipulate that by 2035, new urban buses must be 100% emission-free, with an intermediate target of 90% by 2030. This target does not apply to intercity buses, as they are considered coaches for emission reduction measurement purposes.

Exemptions Vehicles not covered by Union law on vehicle type-approval, such as agricultural and forestry tractors, vehicles designed and manufactured for national defense, including military vehicles, and tracked vehicles, are not subject to CO2 emissions standards. Therefore, these vehicles are not required to meet the CO2 emission reduction targets set by this regulation.

The regulation allows for exemptions from the CO2 emission reduction targets for heavy-duty vehicles designed, manufactured, or adapted for use in civil protection, fire services, law enforcement, or emergency medical assistance, where such compliance would negatively impact safety and the environment, and which have received voluntary type-approval.

Member states also have the right to exempt heavy-duty vehicles registered for use in civil protection, fire services, law enforcement, or emergency medical assistance that are not specifically designed for such purposes but are registered for these uses, such as standard buses used for transporting police officers or military personnel.

Additionally, member states can exempt all vehicles registered for use by the armed forces from the standards set out in this regulation.

The regulation is currently awaiting signature and will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The legislation will enter into force 20 days after its publication.

Reported by Reet Teder
Regulation on tightening CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles