Berlin – FDP and Greens primarily hold the manufacturers responsible for implementing stricter CO2 regulations for city buses and trucks. They are „obliged to quickly provide enough climate-friendly vehicles at affordable prices,“ said Bernd Reuther, the transport policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, to the newspapers of the Mediengruppe Bayern (Wednesday editions).
Reuther is hopeful for a turnaround in commercial vehicles based on developments in the passenger car market: in June, for the first time in the EU, there were more battery-electric and hybrid vehicles registered than those with combustion engines. „This dynamic now needs to be transferred to the commercial vehicle sector as well.“ On Monday, EU environment ministers spoke in favor of stricter CO2 regulations for commercial vehicles. A zero-emission target for new city buses by 2035 and a 90 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from trucks by 2040 – compared to 2019 – is planned.
Stefan Gelbhaar, the transport policy spokesman for the Greens in the Bundestag, sees the most catching up to do in the truck sector. „The ramp-up of emissions-free truck usage is starting now, and the conditions for charging infrastructure, production, and truck supply need to be realized quickly,“ said Gelbhaar. „The lead time was also sufficient here.“ Unionsfraktionsvize Ulrich Lange (CSU) considers the CO2 emission limits to be „overambitious“ and sees a „major problem“ in technical feasibility.
„Lifecycles of trucks and buses require long development periods. Not only the too short time frames but also the necessary investment costs are likely to bring many manufacturers into trouble,“ said Lange. It is now important for politics to support cities and municipalities in converting their fleets – for example, by subsidizing vehicles with alternative drives and by accelerating the expansion of charging and refueling infrastructure.