In a joint letter, a broad alliance is calling on the German government to commit to a technology-neutral approach in the negotiations on CO2 emission standards for heavy commercial vehicles in the EU Council of Ministers.

The broad alliance of 65 companies and associations, including the VDMA, considers the EU Commission's proposal to revise the current Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 on CO2 emission standards to be insufficiently technology-neutral. According to the proposal, vehicle manufacturers and suppliers will only be able to achieve the reduction targets with battery-electric or fuel-cell electric drives and hydrogen engines. The use of renewable fuels, on the other hand, is not to be recognized, as only CO2 emissions at the tailpipe are considered. Locally emission-free drive systems are thus considered to be fundamentally CO2-neutral, because emissions from the manufacture of the vehicle and its battery, for example, or from the generation of the drive energy used are not taken into account. In contrast, the emission contribution of renewable fuels in the operation of heavy-duty vehicles is still not to be recognized. You can find the letter in German language here.

Picture: Shutterstock