HANOVER, Germany (Reuters) - Major manufacturers, such as Daimler Truck and Traton displaying their trucks at a transportation fair in Hanover this week say they are ready to go electric, but their e-trucks will not sell without massive investments in charging infrastructure.
Christian Levin, chief of Volkswagen's truck subsidiary Traton, which owns such brands as Scania, MAN, Navistar, and Volkswagen Trucks and Buses, said the European Union's goal of reaching a 50% share of e-trucks 2030 for now looks out of reach. "It's not just about cost, it's also about charging infrastructure, permissions, green electricity, supply of green electricity, and of course pricing. All of that needs to come together," he told Reuters in an interview.
Daimler Truck's incoming CEO Karin Radstroem had a similar message.
"The trucks are ready and now infrastructure must follow," Radstroem said at Daimler's presentation at the IAA Transportation truck show.
"When the infrastructure is not ready, clients won't buy and when our clients are not buying, we'll need to delay the Green Deal." EU rules say manufacturers have to reduce the CO2 emissions of new heavy trucks by 45% by 2030, compared to the 2020 levels or face stiff fines.