The European trucking industry has raised serious concerns over hitting zero emissions targets, calling the outlook “dire.” Christian Levin, chair of the commercial vehicles board at the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), revealed only around 10,000 of the 6 million trucks delivering goods in the EU are electric. Most electric trucks run short routes. Truck operators face big challenges such as a lack of public charging stations, high energy prices, and few tax benefits. Levin said electric trucks cost about €300,000 (£263,000), twice the price of diesel trucks, making fleet managers hesitant. “The main reason why customers are holding back is they just see it’s more expensive to operate with a battery electric vehicle, but they also see less flexibility and higher risk for instance [in] residual value,” Levin explained. Karin Rådström, Daimler Truck’s board chair, said trucking companies want to go electric but operate on slim profit margins of 2%-3%, so the financial appeal is missing. Under EU rules, 43% of heavy goods vehicles must be electric by 2030, rising to 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2040. If they fail, manufacturers face heavy fines. Currently, fewer than 2% of new truck registrations are electric. “If the trajectory of uptake continues as is … the industry would pay about €2bn in yearly fines,” Levin warned. Rådström highlighted the huge gap in infrastructure: there are only 1,500 public charging points for trucks across Europe, but 35,000 are needed. “During these 14 months, there were less than 500 built,” she said, indicating slow progress compared to the pace required. Sigrid de Vries, ACEA’s director general, urged the European Commission to review targets to better match current realities, including the lack of infrastructure and financial support. The situation calls for urgent action to help the industry meet emission goals on time.