EU Can’t Afford to Pause Zero-Emission Heavy-Responsibility Charging Deployment

Help CleanTechnica’s work by means of a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

IRU, the European Car Producers’ Affiliation (ACEA) and T&E urge the European Fee to make sure continuity of EU funding for heavy-duty automobile charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, warning {that a} break in assist in 2026–2027 would threat slowing the deployment of zero-emission autos.

In a joint letter addressed to European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, IRU, ACEA and T&E — representing street transport operators, automobile producers and civil society — name for pressing motion to stop a funding hole following the exhaustion of the Various Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF).

Created as a part of the CEF Transport programme’s assist for different fuels infrastructure, AFIF has enabled round €3 billion of funding in initiatives throughout the EU. This made potential the crucial enlargement of infrastructure networks throughout the EU. Present Brussels discussions level to a potential break in assist in 2026–2027.

With out a devoted successor instrument foreseen earlier than the subsequent EU Multiannual Monetary Framework begins in 2028, the deployment of charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for heavy-duty autos dangers shedding momentum. This comes at a time when zero-emission vehicles are coming into the market and investments are scaling up throughout the worth chain.

IRU EU Director Raluca Marian mentioned: “What sign would the EU ship to the market if it pauses funding exactly when deployment is lastly taking off?

“For transport operators, the problem is especially acute: corporations could also be able to spend money on costlier zero-emission autos, however with the sector’s skinny margins, such investments aren’t sensible if the provision of charging infrastructure is just not assured.

EU assist for charging infrastructure is significant — and particularly focused assist for depot charging, which can stay the spine of business automobile charging by making certain operational management and predictable prices.”

ACEA’s Chief Business Autos Officer, Thomas Fabian, mentioned: “If Europe is critical about decarbonising street transport, it should guarantee steady assist for heavy-duty charging and refuelling infrastructure. Infrastructure deployment must preserve tempo with automobile rollout and operator’s funding cycles. A break in funding would threat slowing adoption and weakening Europe’s industrial competitiveness at a crucial second. What is required now could be continuity and acceleration, not hesitation.”

The organisations name on the Fee to make sure continuity of EU-level assist, both by extending AFIF or by mobilising different EU funding devices in shut cooperation with Member States. They stress that funding should cowl the total infrastructure chain, together with public charging and refuelling factors, depot charging, grid connections and vitality storage options, that are important for the day by day operation of zero-emission vehicles.

T&E Fleets and Freight Director Stef Cornelis mentioned: “From Portugal to Romania, truck charging infrastructure initiatives are kicking off because of AFIF. This funding is coming to an finish at a time when dependable charging throughout the continent is vital to enabling Europe’s logistics sector to change to electrical. The EU should now increase funding and supply funding certainty for the ability and logistics sectors. Now is just not the time to tug the plug and cease the momentum.”

Information launch from T&E.