A deal has been struck to provide charging points for electric HGVs at regular intervals along Europe’s primary and secondary motorways and in major towns and cities.
The new law agreed to by MEPs, the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), “removes a key obstacle to the EU setting more ambitious CO2 targets for trucks by ensuring there will be adequate public charging”, according to eco think-tank Transport & Environment (T&E).
The law will also require that charging infrastructure keep pace with expanding EV sales, also providing a hydrogen refuelling network for hydrogen trucks.
According to the proposed regulations, the EU’s governments must provide 3,600 kW of truck charging capacity every 60 km along the EU’s primary motorways. On secondary motorways, 1,500 kW of truck charging capacity must be provided every 100 kilometres. The rules say that charging hubs will be required in every major city, with at least four charging points and a ‘safe and secure truck parking area’. All of that has to be done by 2030.
Needs more ambition
The proposals, according to T&E, should mean that the EU can ramp up its carbon reduction demands and should look to increase electric trucks on the road. So far, the EU proposes that there should be a 45 per cent cut in CO2 emissions from new trucks sold in 2030, but T&E says that ambition should be raised.
Fabian Sperka, vehicles policy manager at T&E, said: “Charging is often cited as the big obstacle to a faster roll-out of zero emissions trucks, but lawmakers have now removed that roadblock. The EU’s charging law unlocks more ambitious climate targets for truckmakers, which will in turn green European road freight. MEPs and governments can ramp up CO2 targets for trucks with confidence that there will be plenty of charging available.”
Car buyers benefit too
The changes will also help electric car buyers, with regulations in place for major charging hubs every 60km on major motorways by 2025 and on secondary motorways by 2030.
Fabian Sperka said: “Charging anxiety will become a thing of the past. Governments will be legally required to ramp up infrastructure as electric car sales grow. Electric car drivers will be able to pay with a bank card anywhere in Europe. It will be as easy to charge an EV in Romania as to fill up the tank in Germany today.”