27
September
2021
|
16:01
Europe/Amsterdam

Bundestag election 2021: MAN calls on politicians to create conditions for the decarbonisation of the transport sector

Summary

MAN Truck & Bus is increasingly focusing on zero-emission vehicles in the future. The upcoming federal government will have the task of setting the framework conditions and making the industry's transformation process possible. This requires investments in the development of charging infrastructure, sufficient supply of affordable electricity from renewable energies and CO2-based pricing of mobility.

  • MAN is pursuing a Zero Emission Strategy to achieve the political goal of "climate neutrality by 2045".
  • To make zero-emission heavy-duty transport a real alternative, the focus on building a (charging) infrastructure suitable for commercial vehicles is crucial.

The federal election is over, now the democratically elected parties are entering the process of finding a coalition that will take the country forward over the next four years. MAN Truck & Bus has firmly anchored the decarbonisation of the transport sector in its corporate strategy. However, a new federal government must create the necessary framework conditions to ensure that transport and logistics remain economically viable in the future.

"Particularly on motorways, federal highways and in urban areas with high economic activity, we need charging stations that are designed for charging commercial vehicles and an electricity grid that has the necessary renewable energy capacities," explains Andreas Tostmann, Chairman of the Executive Board of MAN Truck & Bus SE. "This requires the provision of necessary quantities of electricity at economic prices," Tostmann continues. The development of a core network of charging infrastructure with (700 - 1,000 kW) along the major European transport corridors must also be consistently driven forward by 2025.

As the third pillar of transport policy, MAN sees the necessity of pricing CO2 emissions appropriately. Financial incentives that make climate-neutral technologies more competitive can also contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport sector. This can be done, for example, by introducing a CO2-based toll, exempting zero-emission vehicles from tolls until 2030 or reducing tax rates for zero-emission commercial vehicles.