IRU, ACEA, T&E and Hydrogen Europe call for more ambitious EU alternative fuels infrastructure

Leading voices in decarbonising EU road transport are urgently calling on EU Member States and the European Parliament to agree on ambitious targets for electric recharging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

IRU, representing commercial road transport operators, together with ACEA, representing vehicle manufacturers, Transport & Environment, an NGO, and Hydrogen Europe, an association grouping companies and public sector authorities, have signed a joint letter to EU leaders.

The four organisations are all concerned that targets set by the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on alternative fuels infrastructure may be substantially weakened during the legislative process.

In a letter to transport ministers from the 27 Member States of the EU and key European Parliament Rapporteurs today, the organisations call for ambitious and timely targets for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure.

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Hydrogen Europe CEO, commented: “The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation proposal is one of the most crucial elements of the Fit-for-55 package, which will allow Europeans to confidently choose from a range of zero and low carbon powertrains. Hydrogen refuelling stations, underpinned by ambitious targets under AFIR, must be a part of this equation to ensure the decarbonisation of all segments of road transport. The increasing emissions of the mobility sector will not be addressed if the EU institutions decrease the ambition of this proposal, particularly by cutting distances between stations and removing minimum daily capacities of stations. Only an ambitious text can guarantee that Europeans can easily switch to the zero-emission vehicle of their choice!”