"Heavy goods vehicles account for around 30 percent of CO₂ emissions from road transport. Effective climate protection hinges on the issue of commercial vehicles. The potential impact is enormous, yet political efforts fall far short of it.

Our industry has invested heavily in this area and focused on innovation: manufacturers of light and heavy commercial vehicles, including coaches, have long offered electric and CO₂-neutral vehicles. However, the regulatory framework is hindering their practical implementation. Now the challenge is to actually get these vehicles onto the road. Freight forwarders, among others, are called upon to play a key role here. But it's also true that if freight forwarders have to wait months or even years for a grid connection, or if charging facilities are unavailable along highways, then they cannot invest in climate-neutral mobility. Against this backdrop, it is crucial that the Commission finally recognizes the potential and relevance of the industry and supports its ramp-up. Penalties should be avoided in an already investment-intensive transformation, especially for problems not caused by the manufacturers.

The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) has developed a roadmap for the successful ramp-up of climate-friendly and climate-neutral light and heavy commercial vehicles. In addition to the urgent demand to quickly and decisively develop and expand a charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure, the review of fleet regulations must also be brought forward. Only in this way a reality check can be carried out with regard to the necessary framework conditions. Only in this way it can be identified where and how intensively improvements are needed. And ultimately, only in this way it can be ensured that the targets are actually achieved.

When considering all questions about the future of mobility, the specific challenges of the commercial vehicle industry must always be taken into account—only in this way we can achieve the set climate protection goals in harmony with growth, with the preservation of jobs and added value."