11
November
2020
|
18:00
Europe/Amsterdam

"We've done our homework"

Summary

On the occasion of the German Commercial Vehicle Summit Andreas Tostmann, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus and member of the Executive Board of TRATON SE, underlines his demands to politics.

  • Infrastructure development for electric mobility &hydrogen
  •  CO2-based truck toll
  • Fleet renewal programmes

"The commercial vehicle industry is of great importance when it comes to decarbonising transport, and we as manufacturers are of course aware of this and are facing up to this responsibility by developing the corresponding vehicles and services," emphasised Andreas Tostmann, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus SE as well as member of the Executive Board of TRATON SE, at the commercial vehicle summit organised by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). "We have done our homework, it is now up to the politicians to provide the right impetus for rapid implementation," Tostmann formulated his demands to the politicians. "New alternative drives will be more expensive than diesel. Climate protection therefore requires political control - this is the only way to achieve cost parity with diesel vehicles".

Specifically, the MAN CEO expects even more initiative from politicians in coordinating the relevant stakeholders, so that the establishment of a nationwide infrastructure for battery electric commercial vehicles and a hydrogen filling station network can take place promptly. In long-distance transport in particular, the availability of the infrastructure, along with the cost of the fuel, is one of the decisive criteria for whether or not a transport company opts for alternative drive systems, says Tostmann: "As far as infrastructure is concerned, given the high power requirements of battery-powered trucks, the grid, the electricity network and the available amount of electricity is the key to success. As trucks are on the road throughout the EU and even further, an EU-wide approach is needed here".

He sees tolls as another important lever. "We support the reorientation of the toll criteria based on CO2 as the most important assessment factor instead of the previous Euro classes. We therefore very much hope that the European Council will agree on a Eurovignette directive before the end of the year," Tostmann said. This agreement is a prerequisite for Germany actually being able to charge CO2 as an assessment factor in the truck toll at the beginning of 2023. The new HGV toll will then provide a further important incentive to focus on low-emission vehicles, as will fleet renewal programmes.

"We welcome the support for the market ramp-up of alternative powered HGVs with support programmes. This will improve the competitive conditions for new technologies! However, the funds for this support should definitely be continued after 2023," stresses Andreas Tostmann. "Environmental protection only has a chance if it is worthwhile for a haulage company to switch to vehicles with the cleanest technologies for economic reasons".