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On 5 March, the European Commission published its Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector. The Communication outlines recommendations and upcoming measures to support the European automotive sector's transition towards clean, digital and increasingly automated vehicles.

CLECAT welcomes the Action Plan, as it proposes several measures which will be crucial for the decarbonisation of the road freight industry: Alongside the already announced initiatives (Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, Clean Corporate Fleets), the Commission will develop a European Clean Transport Corridor initiative to work with Member States to fast-track the deployments of HDV charging hubs along key logistics corridors, focusing on streamlining of permitting, leveraging financing to de-risk investments, and linking to the provisions for specific grid priority areas under the Renewable Energy Directive. In line with CLECAT’s position paper, the Commission will adopt in the coming months a targeted amendment of the Eurovignette Directive to extend the deadline beyond 31 December 2025 to fully exempt zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles from road charges. The Commission will also accelerate the work on the revision of the CO2 standards for light-duty vehicles to be presented by the end of the year, taking into all relevant technological developments.

The Action Plan is accompanied by a specific Communication entitled “Decarbonise Corporate Fleets”. In preparation for the upcoming legislative proposal expected by the end of the year, the Communication outlines the main challenges and possible solutions to help accelerate the uptake of zero-emission vehicles in corporate fleets. In parallel to the future proposal, the Commission encourages Member States to enhance the attractiveness of ZEVs through fiscal policies, financial incentives and further support for the development of alternative fuel infrastructure. A high-level dialogue with stakeholders will be organised this year with relevant stakeholders to explore possible solutions and the underlying issues related to road transport decarbonisation.

CLECAT welcomes the Communication as it aligns with its position paper on the challenges faced by the road freight industry in decarbonising their fleets, mostly related to the lack of sufficient public and private charging and refuelling infrastructure. However, the future legislative proposal should refrain from imposing ZEV mandates on road transport operators, as it would force operators to purchase vehicles without the ability to use them. Not only will this come at a substantial cost, but it would also reduce the effectiveness, efficiency, and competitiveness of European operators, mostly composed of SMEs.