EU to exempt electric trucks from tolls until 2031

The European Parliament and the Council will soon review the now official proposal from the Commission. Only after this regular legislative process can the continued toll exemption (with or without amendments) take effect. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, explained the Commission’s position as follows: “We need to create the right conditions to support European businesses and reward pioneers in the transition to a low-carbon economy. By extending the exemption period, we are giving industry a strong incentive to invest in zero-emission vehicles and reduce emissions from road transport. It is important for our businesses, but also for our climate targets.”

Currently, the toll exemption for electric trucks is due to end on 31 December 2025. In Germany, electric trucks are then set to pay 25 per cent of the toll to cover infrastructure costs. Should the Commission succeed with its proposal, however, a full toll exemption is likely to remain in place.

According to the Commission, the newly proposed exemption period for toll charges is explicitly aligned with the EU’s CO2 emissions standards for new heavy-duty vehicles. These standards foresee a 43 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.

The EU Commissioners had already announced their current proposal in their action plan for the European automotive industry. While much of this support paper focuses on passenger cars, several sections are dedicated to market support for zero-emission commercial vehicles. The proposals range from the aforementioned extended toll exemption to harmonised type approvals. We recently summarised the specific measures the Commission wants to implement to promote the uptake of electric buses and lorries within the Union.

The plan was developed as part of the so-called Strategic Dialogue in cooperation with industry representatives. However, it should be noted here too: these are still only proposals from the Commission, as the measures in the action plan must still go through the regular legislative process, meaning Parliament and Council.

ec.europa.eu (press release in English), ec.europa.eu (quote Tzitzikostas)