In an open letter to the EU, 41 firms call for bigger ambitions on the greening of transportation in the logistics sector. Among the companies are Heineken, Nike, the Colruyt Group, and shippers like DFDS and Maersk. They say that increasing the targets will lower costs and make it easier to decarbonize fleets.

More precisely, the joint companies demand that the CO2 emissions reduction by 2030 should be tightened from 45% to 65% for the sector. This would translate into roughly 150 000 extra zero-emission trucks on European roads by the end of the decade compared to the Commision’s current proposal, which exempts garbage and construction trucks, but also some for urban delivery. The signatory companies want all trucks to comply.

Lifespan of eighteen years

The letter also calls for a phase-out date for trucks driving on fossil fuels but without mentioning a specific deadline. The companies bear in mind that the average lifecycle of a truck is eighteen years, which is the reason behind the urgency of setting a target today. Especially if the sector needs to gear up for carbon neutrality as the EU targets for 2050. A recent study by TNO states that battery trucks will be more cost-effective by 2030.

Currently, battery-driven trucks cost almost three times the price of a regular diesel version. However, most are powered by modular banks, making it easier for customers to adapt the e-trucks according to their needs and pricing. A beneficial TCO strongly depends on whether the company can provide its own electricity, with solar panels or a windmill.

Colruyt only Belgian company

On top of that, hydrogen projects aim at further facilitating the transition in the long-haul and heavy-duty sectors. At the same time, many in the transport sector also look into HVO (hydro-treated vegetable oil), which can be used in Euro VI diesel trucks without much adaptation. These cut CO2 emissions by 80%, but without governmental incentives, this fuel is outperformed by battery power.

The only Belgian-based company signing the letter is the Colruyt Group, which was also the first logistics company to deploy battery-powered trucks in its fleet. Last month, it added a 44-ton truck, while it already has five refrigerated e-trucks at its subbranch Solucious. By 2035, all delivery operations of the Colruyt Group must be carbon-neutral.

Similar initiative

In an initiative from earlier this year, a similar letter to the European Commission from some reputed companies like IKEA, Coco-Cola, Unilever, and Astra Zeneca asked for even more stringent measures. They proposed a phase-out date for combustion-engined heavy-duty trucks by 2035.

(The letter is signed by AP Moller/Maersk A/S, APL logistics, Asstra Forwarding AG, Avere, Boekestijn Transport, Brightmerge, ChargePoint, Council for Sustainable Logistics (CNL), Colruyt, Contargo, Currys, Danfoss, DFDS, DPDHL, European Shippers Council, EV Box, Fixemer Logistics GmbH, Forto, Heineken, HMM Co Ltd, Integre Trans, Knauf Insulation, Kuehne and Nagel, Meyer & Meyer, Nestlé, Nike, Oatly Group, PepsiCo, Polish Chamber of E-mobility Development (PIRE), REE Automotive USA Inc., Samskip Multimodal, Schachinger Logistik, SEA Electric, Stolt Tank Containers BV, University Gustave Eiffel, VAI Capital, van der Wal, Vattenfall, Volta Trucks, Zeus Labs, Zilch Forwarding.)