Speaking upon her appointment, Karin Rådström emphasised this package as a crucial opportunity for Europe to take a more coherent and pragmatic approach to the HDV sector’s transformation: “It’s a privilege and honour to take over as Chair of ACEA’s Commercial Vehicle Board at such a crucial time for our industry. Trucks and buses keep Europe moving – they are the backbone of logistics and public transport. With many of the world’s leading truck and bus manufacturers based here in Europe, we have both the responsibility and the opportunity to lead,” she said.
“Yet, there are challenges that put our industry’s competitiveness at risk. We fully support the EU’s goal to decarbonise transport – and with dozens different zero-emission truck and bus models in series production, our industry is delivering. But substantial market uptake will only happen when our customers can operate zero-emission vehicles as seamlessly and profitably as conventional vehicles today.”
“That’s why we need an accelerated review of the heavy-duty vehicle CO2 legislation no later than mid-2026. The Commission must take urgent action now to prevent manufacturers from having to pay penalties while the essential enabling conditions are simply not in place. The obligations for manufacturers must be aligned with the development of charging and hydrogen infrastructure networks and policy measures that support robust business cases for our customers, like CO2-based road charges in all Member States.”
“2026 has to be the year Europe turns challenges into real progress, delivering pragmatic solutions that protect competitiveness while driving decarbonisation. Europe must quickly become our strong home market for zero-emission technologies. Both the Commission and Member States must urgently streamline and simplify the regulation framework and accelerate the demand for zero-emission vehicles. That is what I will focus on in my tenure at ACEA,” Rådström concluded
Reflecting on his mandate, a year in which the European HDV industry delivered major strides in zero-emission technologies despite continuing structural challenges, outgoing Chair Christian Levin underscored the urgency of aligning ambitions with enabling conditions.
“2025 was a pivotal year for Europe’s commercial vehicle sector, characterised by technological progress and mounting pressure. As manufacturers, we are delivering new generations of zero-emission vehicles across Europe. To be clear: the technology is ready, but the ecosystem is not,” he said.
“Looking ahead to 2026, we will continue to build a strong commitment and high ambitions of Europe’s truck and bus manufacturers. We are united in our advocacy for supportive European regulations that will accelerate the transition to a competitive market. As I hand over to Karin, I am confident that this unity and determination will continue to steer our industry in 2026 and beyond.”
Vehicle manufacturers have less than five years left for a tenfold jump from 3.8% (Q1 – Q3 2025) to at least 35% market share of zero-emission vehicles needed to meet the 2030 CO2 reduction target. But the success of the climate neutrality transition does not depend on vehicle manufacturers alone. Without urgent and targeted action from Member States and the European Commission, manufacturers are at risk of incurring excessive non-compliance penalties for circumstances beyond their control.
The EU must now turn commitment into concrete action, ensuring that infrastructure, regulation and business conditions finally advance in step with manufacturers’ efforts.