Seven Major European Semi-Truck Brands Agree To Phase Out Diesel By 2040

The world’s first series-built diesel truck debuted at the commercial vehicle show in Amsterdam in 1924, but going forward, truck-making companies intend to switch to batteries and hydrogen.

Working with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research under the umbrella of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, seven major semi-truck manufacturers have jointly agreed to end the sale of diesel-engined heavy haulers by the year 2040. MAN, DAF, Iveco, SAAB Scania, Daimler AG (a.k.a. Mercedes-Benz), Ford, and Volvo are the culprits.

According to the ACEA automotive association, the zero-emissions alliance has called for the European Union to increase its carbon tax. Why, you may be wondering? As politicians continue to subsidize fossil fuels, this policy makes it impossible to convince fleet operators and private customers to drop diesel in favor of BEVs as well as hydrogen fuel cells.

“If road freight transport is to maintain its role in serving society, we need to move away from fossil fuels as quickly as possible,” said Henrik Henriksson, chair of the commercial vehicle board of ACEA and head honcho of SAAB Scania. “Not only are we convinced that it is necessary, we know it is possible and we are ready to make it happen. But we cannot do it alone; we need policymakers and stakeholders to join forces with us.”

There is, however, another problem that needs to be highlighted. The roll-out of charging stations will demand great efforts from everyone involved in this project, and I’m not holding my breath in this regard. Even though EVs are increasingly popular, the charging infrastructure leaves much to be desired in the United States, the Old Continent, and Asian markets.

Speaking of Asia, the Land of the Rising Sun has taken upon itself to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Japan intends to make FCVs more popular than BEVs, but only time will tell if hydrogen will prove to be the winning ticket.