As the governments of Europe and North America (U.S. and Canada) continue to push for a transition from fossil fuel powered vehicles to zero-emission vehicles, a number of significant barriers to adoption will continue to hamper this initiative.
Significant barriers to adoption of zero-emission vehicles include the total cost of vehicle ownership, a lack of charging and grid infrastructure, truck resale values and duty cycle issues. The primary types of alternative propulsion that are in focus include Battery Electric, Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Hydrogen ICE engines and to a lesser degree, Natural Gas and Biodiesel ICE engines. The vast majority of the medium and heavy commercial vehicle industry support the transition to zero-emission vehicles but the short timeline for implementation is causing great concern throughout the industry.
North America. In the United States, the Phase 3 Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards for Medium and Heavy trucks appear to have been finalized in March 2024. The standards require drastic emission cuts from 2027 through 2032. While the regulations do not specify what technologies must be implemented, the emission reduction levels will become increasingly more stringent each year and will ultimately force significant adoption of zero emission vehicles toward the end of this decade. Overall, the industry has serious concerns about the short amount of lead time given for implementation (see the below links).
Europe. It appears the Euro 7 emission regulations last scheduled for implementation in July 2027 have been pushed back until July 2031. The original 2022 Euro 7 proposal would have seen some of the world’s strictest emissions rules imposed from mid-2025 for cars, and mid-2027 for trucks and buses.
In late 2022, the European Commission published its proposal for the new Euro VII emissions standard, which will apply to all vehicle types and powertrains. The proposal replaces and simplifies previously separate emission rules for cars and vans (Euro 6) and trucks and buses (Euro VI). The Euro VII standard brings emission limits for all motor vehicles under a single set of rules. The new rules are fuel- and technology-neutral, placing the same limits regardless of whether the vehicle uses petrol, diesel, electric drive-trains or alternative fuels.
Limits will be tightened for trucks and buses, while there will also be limits for previously unregulated pollutants, such as NOx emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. The proposed rules also set limits for particulate emissions from brakes and tires that will also apply to electric vehicles. Many in the industry were worried about time goals that they need to see as realistic. Postponing the Euro 7 regulations will also allow the industry to place a greater focus on zero-emission vehicles as opposed to a costly and time consuming upgrade to the diesel engines.
Read The Article Read The Article
Summary. There is currently not a single zero-emission solution that will be efficient across the entire medium and heavy vehicle segment, but rather a combination of solutions. For example, Battery Electric powered vehicles would be best for short and regional haul routes and will work well for transit buses, short haul delivery and in many cases the refuse market when the duty cycles allow. Hydrogen Fuel cells would be better suited to longer haul routes for class 8 semi-trucks. PSR
Chris Fisher is Senior Commercial Vehicle Analyst at Power Systems Research
