Clean freight experts are urging the European Commission to reject a three-year delay to the 2030 CO₂ standards.
The experts claim that further weakening the rules would slow Europe’s shift to electric trucks, with changes agreed earlier this year reduced the 2030 zero-emission ambition from around 31% to 23% of sales, resulting in approximately 200,000 fewer zero-emission trucks by 2030.
Campaign groups Eko and Idle Giants are taking that message to IAA Transportation with a billboard at Hannover Central Station declaring: “Clean Freight Can’t Wait.”
The experts state manufacturers should invest more of their own capital in lowering electric truck prices and reaching scale.
Delaying the targets risks leaving European manufacturers behind faster-moving competitors while keeping fleets exposed to rising diesel costs. they added.
Maintaining the existing 2030 targets could prevent the sale of around 60,000 additional diesel trucks, avoiding pollution equivalent to adding two million cars to Europe’s roads. Electric trucks could cut European oil imports by 22% by 2035, saving Europe €28 billion, and businesses around €1,800 a month in fuel running costs.
Upfront purchase price remains a major barrier for fleets, with an estimated 93% are effectively priced out of electric trucks at current European manufacturer prices, while Chinese manufacturers can already offer electric trucks at prices up to 36%cheaper.
Rather than investing to close that gap, European truckmakers have continued to prioritise shareholder payouts while seeking greater flexibility on their CO₂ obligations, the experts claimed.
European truckmakers, on average, achieved the EU’s 2025 CO₂ reduction target of 15% a year early. Electric truck registrations in Europe increased by more than 50% as the first CO₂ standards took effect, while Daimler Truck tripled its zero-emission share within one reporting period when a target applied.
More than 400,000 electric trucks were sold worldwide in 2025, reaching 9% of global truck sales. The IEA projects they will account for at least 20% by 2035, with China reaching 60%.
Clean freight experts said “Europe should stay the course and protect the ambition of the CO₂ standards rather than granting manufacturers further compliance flexibility.”
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