EU efficiency standards are needed to strengthen competition in the market said sustainable transport group Transport & Environment, which commissioned the survey and blames the paltry figure on a 20-year stagnation in European truck fuel economy.
William Todts, freight director at sustainable transport group Transport & Environment, said: “It should come as no surprise that seven out of eight fleet managers don’t think that another brand can help them save fuel.”
“Fuel economy of new trucks has remained stagnant for 20 years now. The ongoing emissions cartel case illustrates how cosy the market has been, to the detriment of their customers and the environment,” he added.
The market survey comes as the EU is set to issue the biggest cartel fine in its history to Europe’s largest truck makers for allegedly fixing prices and delaying the introduction of technologies to control air pollution between 1997 and 2011. During that period, new truck fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions barely improved, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation.
While trucks make up less than 5% of all vehicles on the road, they are responsible for 25% of road transport’s fuel use and carbon emissions. Ports have been getting tough on pollution from trucks, with moves to replace diesel with cleaner alternatives playing a key part in meeting the EU’s 2030 climate targets.
