October 10, 2025 – The organisations co-signing the below letter, representing road transport operators (International Road Transport Union), freight forwarders (CLECAT), shippers (European Shippers’ Council), and the cold chain sector (Global Cold Chain Alliance), share the European Union’s objective to decarbonise transport. Our members are already investing heavily in zero-emission vehicles and technologies wherever the enabling conditions exist.
Evidence clearly shows this commitment in action. In the first half of 2025, overall heavy-duty registrations in the EU fell by 11%, yet sales of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles increased by 40%. Even in a difficult market environment, the sector continues to accelerate its transition when the enabling conditions are present. However, these enabling conditions remain far from adequate. Public charging infrastructure for trucks must grow tenfold to meet expected needs, while charging points remain prohibitively expensive compared with depot charging, and charging times are unpredictable. Depot infrastructure, which will cover the majority of regional and local transport (around 70% of freight movements), often faces grid connection delays and capacity limits. The forthcoming Grid Package will help, but its benefits will materialise only over several years.
Read the full letter: 10 October Letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission (PDF)