Brussels — Public authorities will have to use alternative fuels such as electricity, hydrogen and LNG for more new buses andtrucks by 2030, under new binding EU rules.
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Register NowThe rules are part of the EU's wider efforts to cut its transport emissions and move away from oil as it seeks to decarbonize its economy by 2050.
The rules set out binding minimum national procurement targets for new 'clean' light duty vehicles, buses and trucks for 2025 and 2030, as part of an update to the EU's 2009 clean vehicles directive.
The different national targets for new clean buses range from 24%-45% in 2025, and from 33%-65% in 2030, dependingon each country's population and GDP.
The European Commission's original proposals from November 2017 set ranges of 29%-50% by 2025 and 43%-75% by 2030.
ELECTRIC BUSES
Half of the targets would have to be met with zero-emission -- most likely electric -- buses. That means that in Germany and Sweden, for example, nearly a quarter of new public buses should be zero emission by 2025, EU clean transport lobby group Transport & Environment said.
The national targets for new low or zero-emission heavy duty public sector vehicles - such as waste collection trucks -- vary from 6%-10% of new trucks in 2025, and 7%-15% by 2030.
For new clean cars and vans, the targets vary from 17.6%-38.5%, defined in 2025 as emitting less than 50g CO2 per kilometer and in 2030 as zero-emission.
The European Parliament and EU Council, representing national governments, signed off the new rules in June.
They were published in the Official Journal on July 12 and entered into force -- became binding -- 20 days later on August 1.
National governments have to apply the new rules by August 2, 2021, and submit a first report on their impact to the EC by April 18, 2026.
-- Siobhan Hall, siobhan.hall@spglobal.com
-- Edited by Daniel Lalor, daniel.lalor@spglobal.com