Truck Weights & Dimensions: More Cargo, Lower Costs, Less Road Wear

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Final Up to date on: twenty fifth February 2025, 02:40 am

allow the shift to zero-emission vehicles whereas safeguarding Europe’s street infrastructure

The European Fee proposed to evaluate the Weights and Dimensions (W&D) directive in July 2023. By setting car weight and size limits, the W&D directive is important to help the economic transition to zero-emission autos (ZEVs). Presently, the W&D directive permits ZEV combos to weigh as much as 2 further tonnes in comparison with diesel vehicles, whereas each share the identical driving axle restrict.

Present complete weight and axle limits can result in payload losses in some use circumstances, at the least within the brief and medium time period, thereby penalising ZEVs. The two-tonne weight allowance is not at all times enough to compensate for the added weight of some zero-emission fashions in long-distance trucking, subsequently delaying their adoption. Moreover, a ZEV could attain the 11.50-tonne driving axle restrict earlier than absolutely utilising the 2-tonne further weight allowance for all the car (i.e. earlier than reaching the permitted complete weight of 42 tonnes). This will occur as a result of battery packs are sometimes mounted alongside the chassis, including further weight to the driving axle. In consequence, a part of the 2-tonne allowance stays unusable, putting ZEVs at a payload drawback in comparison with diesel vehicles.

To deal with payload points, the Fee proposed to extend the burden allowance for ZEVs from 2 to 4 tonnes, elevating their complete permissible weight to 44 tonnes, alongside an improve of their driving axle weight restrict from 11.50 to 12.50 tonnes. Nevertheless, excessive axle weights can have an opposed affect on street infrastructure, and this 1-tonne improve in the driving axle weight has develop into one of the contested components within the political discussions. A 12 months and a half after the proposal got here out, EU Member States have but to attain a standard place.

A brand new consultancy report carried out by the consultancies Apollo Automobile Security & Analysis Pushed Options outlines how the W&D evaluate can help the transition to ZEVs whereas safeguarding Europe’s roads and bridges. Apollo Automobile Security examined doable various weight will increase that may guarantee a stage taking part in discipline for ZEVs whereas minimising any detrimental results on Europe’s street infrastructure. The evaluation quantifies the ensuing street infrastructure prices as a result of adjustments in car and axle weights for 3 instance international locations (Germany, Poland and Romania) and initiatives these for the timeframe 2025 – 2040 based mostly on the anticipated ZEV gross sales and fleet uptake in every of these markets.

Analysis Pushed Resolution assessed ZEVs’ affect on a number of bridge kinds and lengths. Barely decreasing the proposed weight allowances for 5-axle combos would guarantee that the majority ZEVs presently in the marketplace can obtain payload parity with 40-tonne diesel vehicles. Prices for Germany’s street community would rise by simply 1.41% in comparison with the present scenario, saving €400 million in comparison with the Fee proposal over 2025 – 2040. In Poland and Romania, the rise might be restricted to 0.72% every, with financial savings of €20 million every in comparison with the proposal. Shifting extra of Europe’s trucking fleet to an elevated share of 6-axle combos would considerably lower street infrastructure prices in contrast not solely to the Fee proposal, but in addition to present W&D guidelines. Germany alone would save €2.67 billion, whereas Poland and Romania €150 million every.

Coverage suggestions:

1. Attain an enabling evaluate of the W&D directive as quickly as doable. Whereas the European Fee proposed the evaluate already a 12 months and a half in the past, and the European Parliament adopted its place in March 2024, EU Member States have but to achieve a common method. We urge Member States to undertake a place as quickly as doable and name on EU policymakers to swiftly finalise interinstitutional negotiations as soon as Member States have reached their compromise.
2. Cut back the proposed ZEV allowance from 4 to three tonnes for 5-axle combos. This may guarantee a stage taking part in discipline with diesel vehicles and minimise street infrastructure prices for Member States. By decreasing the full car weight, the affect on bridges would additionally additional lower and develop into negligible.
3. Cut back the proposed driving axle restrict from 12.50 to 11.75 tonnes. Rising the present restrict by simply 250 kg is enough to completely make use of a 3-tonne weight allowance for all the car. Highway infrastructure prices could be minimised in comparison with the Fee proposal.
4. Keep the proposed ZEV allowance of 4 tonnes for 6-axle combos. These combos scale back street put on by distributing weight throughout a further axle on the tractor. Retaining the proposed 4-tonne ZEV allowance would offset the added axle weight and help their market uptake. For six-axle combos, this may be achieved with out growing the full 19-tonne weight restrict of the 2 rear axles.
5. Take away the proposed weight restrictions for ZEVs on the TEN-T core community. In its newest draft compromise, the Council proposed to limit ZEVs to solely a restricted share of the TEN-T core community and ban them from nearly all of Europe’s roads. Our evaluation exhibits how a mixture of coverage choices can stop any opposed impacts for Europe’s street infrastructure. Nevertheless, weight allowances are useful so long as ZEVs are allowed to flow into on EU roads. As these restrictions are usually not crucial and even detrimental to the transition of Europe’s business car trade, we urge Member States to take away them.

Delays in reaching an settlement threaten the street freight sector’s transition to ZEVs.

Bernardo Galantini, Freight and Local weather Officer at T&E says: “The Commission proposed a review of the W&D Directive a year and half ago but Member States have not yet reached a common position. This law is key to create the conditions for zero-emission trucks to compete with diesel rigs and accelerate the shift of the road freight sector to clean vehicles. While the additional weight for ZEVs proposed by the Commission would speed up their adoption, they also have an impact on infrastructure. Our analysis shows how Member States could adjust the Commission’s proposal to both promote ZEVs and safeguard Europe’s roads and bridges. Reducing the proposed weight increase, e.g. the additional weight for 5-axle combinations from 4 to 3 tonnes and their driving axle from 12.50 to only 11.75 tonnes, is the right way to transport more cargo, lower costs and reduce road wear”.

Bernardo Galantini provides: “With balanced weight allowances for ZEVs, we also urge Member States to remove the proposed limitation of heavier zero-emission trucks on parts of the TEN-T core network. Weight allowances are only beneficial as long as ZEVs are allowed to circulate on all EU roads. These restrictions are not necessary and even harmful to the transition of Europe’s commercial vehicle industry”.

Article from T&E website.

Learn the briefing. Learn full report.