The EU CO2 standard 2019/1242 for heavy-duty vehicles legislates increasing CO2 emissions reduction targets for 2025, 2030, 2035 and 2040 for new heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) to reduce the climate impact of the automotive sector. The revision was proposed in February 2023 by the EU Commission, and a public consultation was open until May 2023 to gather stakeholder views.
The adopted CO2 standard for heavy-duty vehicles fell short of setting a phase-out date for internal combustion engines, aligning with opposition from the automotive sector. It set a target of a 90% emissions reduction by 2040 for new heavy-duty vehicles in the EU, however, the final regulation also includes a 2027 review clause and a non-binding exemption that could allow the sale of heavy-duty vehicles running on e-fuels after 2040. These last minute developments, likely prompted by intense industry lobbying, leave the regulation exposed to future lobbying efforts aimed at weakening the file.
GHG emission regulation
The act was signed on May 13 2024 and published in the Official Journal on June 6 2024.
GHG emission regulation
The act was signed on May 13 2024 and published in the Official Journal on June 6 2024.
In a press release published on 5 June 2025, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) proposed a 10-point plan for climate-neutral mobility ‘from the perspective of the German automotive industry’. In the proposal, VDA suggested that the current EU CO2 standards for light and heavy-duty vehicles “cannot be met,” and was unsupportive of the 2035 phase-out date for light-duty internal combustion engine vehicles. Instead, the association advocated for a technology-neutral approach, with a role for hybrid vehicles and renewable fuels beyond 2035. Regarding the proposal, VDA’s President, Hildegard Muller, suggested the “development and production of combustion engines — in which we are technological leaders — could be kept in Europe,” in a quote published by Politico in June 2025. VDA also advocated for a 90% 2035 emissions reduction target for light-duty vehicles instead of the current 100% target, and called for the respective 2026 and 2027 reviews of the light-duty vehicle and heavy-duty vehicle standards to be brought forward to 2025.
A collective of European industry associations, including Eurogas, FuelsEurope and the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) released a 25 October joint statement pushing to weaken the EU light-and-heavy-duty vehicle CO2 emission standards. The statement called for policymakers to prioritize a technology neutral approach over electrification, citing the need to enable consumer choice and for the market to play a role in decarbonization.
In a POLITICO.eu article published on November 13th, FuelsEurope advocated for the introduction of a ‘carbon correction factor’ for alternative fuels, which would weaken the EU heavy-duty vehicles CO2 emission standards regulation.
In a press release dated November 16th, the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) supported the EU heavy-duty vehicles CO2 emission standards regulation by advocating against the introduction of a ‘carbon correction factor’ for alternative fuels and stating that the deployment of such fuels should be a priority for the shipping sector.
In a position paper published in October, Maersk, IKEA and Unilever strongly supported the EU's proposed CO2 emissions reduction targets of 70% by 2035 and 92.5% by 2040 for heavy-duty vehicles, and opposed the inclusion of biofuels and e-fuels as a compliance pathway, which would weaken the regulation.
In an October 2023 joint statement, European industry associations including FuelsEurope, European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), and Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) advocated for the introduction of a ‘carbon correction factor’ for alternative fuels in the EU's HDV CO2 emission standards, which would weaken the regulation.
In a 9th February joint letter, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) and the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) opposed a 100% CO2 reduction target for heavy-duty vehicles in the European Union. The industry associations argued that a general phase-out date for the internal combustion engine "should not be considered at this point", and instead called for a "technology-neutral approach" to cutting CO2 emissions. They also advocated for a fixed 2030 CO2 target, but for 2035/2040 targets to be reviewed and reassessed.
In a 6th February joint letter, over 100 industry organizations, including the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), Engie, Eni, Eurogas, Gas Infrastructure Europe, Repsol, and TotalEnergies, appeared to support a long-term role for the internal combustion engine by calling for the inclusion of sustainable and renewable fuels in the European Union CO₂ standards for heavy-duty vehicles.
In December 2022, a group of cross-sector organizations including Maersk, Siemens, PepsiCo and AVERE signed a joint letter urging the European Commission to set a 2035 100% zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) sales target in the EU. It also called for a CO2 reduction target of 65% by 2030 and an intermediate target of 30% in 2027, as well as ambitious and binding infrastructure targets in the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) in the short-term.
In a July 2022 position paper, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) appeared to oppose the proposed 2025 15% heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) CO2 reduction target in the EU and called for a review period of the 2030 30% reduction target in 2027-2028. CLEPA also appeared to advocate for a long-term role for internal combustion engine-powered HDVs in the EU, calling for flexibility mechanisms to account for low-carbon and carbon-neutral fuels in the proposed HDV CO2 emissions targets.
In a 4th May joint report, Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) did not appear to support the EU’s CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, instead promoting the use of alternative ICE (internal combustion engine) technologies in heavy-duty vehicles, such as bio-LNG. In the same report, GIE also supported the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation with major exceptions, such as advocating for the inclusion of LNG and CNG infrastructure in the scope of the policy.
An open letter to EU policymakers on 19th April, initiated by Air Liquide's Head of Innovation Dr. Armin Günther, supported a long-term role for internal combustion engine vehicles in the EU, advocating for EU policies (including the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, the Energy Taxation Directive, CO2 Standards for Light and Heavy Duty Vehicles and the Renewable Energy Directive) to support e-fuels and hydrogen over the electrification of transportation. The letter stated that “electromobility will in all likelihood not lead to any significant greenhouse gas reductions in the period up to 2030, which is crucial for the long-term success or failure of climate protection. In particular to, the high CO2 emissions caused by the construction of batteries, the high share of fossil fuels in power generation that will still exist for a long time and the enormous expense for the charging infrastructure.”
The table below lists the entities found to be most engaged with the policy. The entities are ranked by performance band. InfluenceMap tracks over 500 companies and 250 industry associations globally. Each entity name links to its full InfluenceMap profile, where the evidence of its engagement can be found.
| Influencemap Performance Band | Organization | Policy Position | Policy Engagement Intensity |
|---|
