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On 10 March, a coalition of transport, cities and health organisations sent a letter to MEPs and Member States to strengthen the Commission’s proposed van CO2 limits for the 2020s. As currently drafted, the proposal does not require manufacturers to increase their sales of electric vans above a 10% share before the end of the decade.

The signatories fully support that all new vans must be zero emission from 2035 onwards. Yet, more ambition is needed early on during the 2020s to successfully roll out clean vans by 2035. Transport and logistics operators, which are part of the European Clean Trucking Alliance, said it is essential that lawmakers increase the stringency of van maker targets and boost the supply of electric vans, which they need to transition to zero emissions.

The cities noted that vans need to shift to zero emissions much faster to clean up toxic air and address the growing climate impact of home deliveries. Setting stronger van targets is also a big opportunity to improve air quality, public health groups said. Vans are a major source of air pollution, including 14% of NOx emissions from vehicles in cities.