EU: Heavy-Duty Vehicles: GHG Emissions (2019)
This summary covers CO2 emission reduction targets for heavy-duty vehicles adopted in 2019. These targets were strengthened and expanded to more vehicle categories by regulatory amendments adopted in 2024.
Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 of June 2019
Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 [4416] introduced the first European carbon dioxide emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles (HDV). The 2019 regulation required that the average CO2 emissions from selected HDV categories be reduced by 15% in 2025 and by 30% in 2030, relative to a 2019/2020 baseline.
The regulation was applicable to delivery vehicles belonging to groups 4, 5, 9, and 10 as defined in the CO2 certification regulation [4594], Table 1. The regulated vehicle groups corresponded to rigid and tractor trucks with a 4×2 axle configuration and a GVW above 16 tonnes, and all 6×2 vehicles—these are common configurations of European heavy trucks. The vehicles are further divided into sub-groups, depending on their use profiles, Table 2.
The above emission targets and the scope of applicability were modified by amendments adopted in 2024 [6336].
| Axle Typea | Chassis | GVW, tonnes | Vehicle Group | Date of Certification Requirement | CO2 Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4×2 | Rigid | >3.5 - <7.5 | 0 | No certification requirements | No |
| Rigid/Tractor | 7.5 - 10 | 1 | January 1, 2020 for all new registrations | No | |
| Rigid/Tractor | >10 - 12 | 2 | |||
| Rigid/Tractor | >12 - 16 | 3 | |||
| Rigid | >16 | 4 | January 1, 2019 for new produced vehicles July 1, 2019 for all new registrations | Yes | |
| Tractor | >16 | 5 | |||
| 4×4 | Rigid | 7.5 - 16 | 6 | No certification requirements | No |
| Rigid | >16 | 7 | |||
| Tractor | >16 | 8 | |||
| 6×2 | Rigid | all weights | 9 | January 1, 2019 for new produced vehicles July 1, 2019 for all new registrations | Yes |
| Tractor | all weights | 10 | |||
| 6×4 | Rigid | all weights | 11 | July 1, 2020 for new registrations | No |
| Tractor | all weights | 12 | |||
| 6×6 | Rigid | all weights | 13 | No certification requirements | No |
| Tractor | all weights | 14 | |||
| 8×2 | Rigid | all weights | 15 | ||
| 8×4 | Rigid | all weights | 16 | July 1, 2020 for new registrations | No |
| 8×6/8 | Rigid | all weights | 17 | No certification requirements | No |
| a Axle Type = [number of wheels] × [number of drive wheels] | |||||
| Group Description | Vehicle Group | Vehicle Sub-Groupa | Cabin Type | Engine Power | MPWb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid, 4×2 axle GVW > 16 t | 4 | 4-UD | All | < 170 kW | 0.099 |
| 4-RD | Day cab | ≥ 170 kW | 0.154 | ||
| Sleeper cab | ≥ 170 kW and < 265 kW | ||||
| 4-LH | Sleeper cab | ≥ 265 kW | 0.453 | ||
| Tractor, 4×2 axle GVW > 16 t | 5 | 5-RD | Day cab | All | 0.498 |
| Sleeper cab | < 265 kW | ||||
| 5-LH | Sleeper cab | ≥ 265 kW | 1.000 | ||
| Rigid, 6×2 axle | 9 | 9-RD | Day cab | All | 0.286 |
| 9-LH | Sleeper cab | 0.901 | |||
| Tractor, 6×2 axle | 10 | 10-RD | Day cab | All | 0.434 |
| 10-LH | Sleeper cab | 0.922 | |||
|
a UD: Urban delivery, RD: Regional delivery, LH: Long-haul b MPW: Mileage and payload weighting factor | |||||
The regulation also introduced other provisions, including incentives for Zero- and Low Emission Vehicles (ZLEV) and certain compliance flexibilities for vehicle manufacturers.