EU truckmakers seek 3-year delay to 2030 CO2 targets

BRUSSELS, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Europe's truckmakers called on the EU to delay compliance with 2030 CO2 reduction targets by three years on Monday as insufficient charging networks and high energy costs meant zero-emission vehicles did not make business sense for buyers.    

Under current European Union rules, manufacturers in the bloc must cut CO2 emissions of new heavy-duty vehicles by 43% in 2030, compared to 2025 levels, 64% in 2035 and 90% in 2040, with fines for those that do not comply, albeit with the possibility of earning emission credits for the period 2025 to 2029.

However, currently only 2.4% of new heavy-duty vehicles are zero-emission, far below the level required for the 2030 target, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, ACEA, said.

The CEOs of Europe's seven leading truck and bus manufacturers, including DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Iveco and Scania, said in a statement that compliance with the 2030 target should be delayed by three years. 

Policymakers need to create conditions to accelerate the rollout of charging stations, speed up grid connections, expand CO2-based road tolls and reinvest revenue from emissions trading in infrastructure and zero-emission vehicle uptake, they added.

EU policymakers are debating a European Commission proposal to drop the 27-member bloc's effective ban on new combustion-engine cars from 2035 after pressure from the auto sector to ease green policies. 

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Alexander Smith)