Read the Letter Business Leader Quotes
Dear Ministers,
We are writing as a broad coalition of European businesses and organisations committed to Europe’s transition to zero-emission trucks (ZETs).
Together, we urge the swift implementation of road toll and user charge exemptions for ZETs as permitted under the Eurovignette Directive. At the same time, where this has not been implemented yet, it is key to vary truck tolls according to CO2 emissions, as required by the Directive.
Heavy-duty vehicles are essential to European logistics but are responsible for around a quarter of road transport emissions, despite making up only 2% of vehicles. Transitioning to ZETs is crucial for Europe to maintain its industrial leadership in this sector. ZETs are commercially viable across major use cases, with dozens of models in mass production and long-haul ranges of up to 600 km. Yet their total cost of ownership needs to be further improved to help European transport operators adopt them at scale.
Against this backdrop, the recent extension of Member States’ power to exempt ZETs from road tolls and user charges until 30 June 2031 represents a critical opportunity. Implementing this measure, alongside CO₂-based truck tolling, is vital to reduce operating costs and enable European companies to deploy ZETs at scale. Evidence from Germany, which has extended the exemption for ZETs from road tolls until June 2031, demonstrates that a full implementation of the Eurovignette Directive is key to supporting clean investments.
Proactive government action in all EU countries, including those where concessionary agreements are in place, is essential to reinforce Europe’s climate and industrial goals. From a social perspective, transitioning to ZETs can be further aided by the use of new revenues from toll reform. We therefore urge you to act decisively. By fully implementing the Eurovignette Directive, you can send a clear market signal, unlock private investment, and accelerate Europe’s transition to a clean and future-proof road freight sector.
Yours sincerely,
Business Leader Quotes
“Transitioning to zero-emission fleets isn’t just about the vehicle; it’s about the synergies in the ecosystem. By implementing toll exemptions, Member States can create the essential financial headroom for operators to reinvest directly into private and semi-public charging depots, which are essential for rolling out e-trucks.”
—Petar Georgiev, VP Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, AMPECO (Bulgaria)
“As we currently see more than ever the need to become more independent from fossil fuels in the European Union, making zero-emission trucks exempt from road tolls will help the uptake of zero-emission trucks immensely by reducing the TCO parity gap that is currently still there.”
—M.J. Baartmans, Managing Director, BREYTNER (Netherlands)
“Our mission at Cenex Nederland is to support and stimulate the transition to sustainable transport. The implementation of the Eurovignette Directive is an important financial-enabling factor to help fleets transition to zero-emission technologies. Rapid and uniform implementation across the member states will lower the TCO, incentivize zero-emission long-haul and provide the long-term certainty that is sorely needed for investment in electrification.”
—Esther van Bergen, General Manager – Director, Cenex, NL (Netherlands)
“The transition toward zero-emission fleets needs to be supported by a solid business case. By fully implementing the Eurovignette Directive, Member States can create the right incentives and accelerate the uptake of zero-emission trucks.”
—Nicolette van der Jagt, Director General, CLECAT (Belgium)
“At EquanimityEnergy we strive to make the HDEV already more competitive in TCO than any other alternative today. Exempting zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles from tolls and user charges until June 2031 will put the HDEV in the focus of the attention of any logistical operator, which is the decisive step we need now.”
—Piet Holtrop, Founder, EquanimityEnergy (Spain)
“We are proud to support the push for zero-emission truck toll exemptions, as addressing the total cost of ownership will give the logistics industry the boost that it needs to confidently make the switch to electric vehicles.”
—Paweł Kraśnicki, EV Volta (Poland)
“Governments must stand firmly behind CO₂ emission reduction targets by implementing policies that provide clear operational and financial advantages for zero-emission road logistics. These policies, such as free or reduced tolling, need to be embedded in a transparent and long-term strategy, giving organizations the certainty they need to plan investments and enabling the industry to accelerate the transition to zero-emission transport.”
—Rob Kroon, Project Manager, FIER Sustainable Mobility (Netherlands)
“By improving the total cost of ownership (TCO) of zero-emission trucks, this measure sends a clear and durable market signal that strengthens investment certainty across the sector by improving the bankability of zero-emission truck projects. It creates the conditions for large-scale private capital mobilisation — enabling Europe to accelerate fleet renewal, reinforce industrial competitiveness, and deliver on its climate commitments. GFI España supports its full and timely implementation.”
—Tom Parke, Senior Associate, Green Finance Institute (Spain)
“The development of a favourable environment for zero-emission trucks is a crucial step to accelerate adoption. To reduce and/or clear economic barriers to adopt ZETs is a simple but effective incentive to carriers who could more easily offer zero-emission services to their customers.”
—Andrea Fossa, Founder, Greenrouter S.r.l., (Italy)
“Free tolling for zero-emission trucks is a powerful economic incentive and i-charging strongly supports this initiative and urges all Member States to act swiftly. This is essential to accelerate fleet decarbonisation and reduce CO2 emissions.”
— Pedro Silva, CEO, i-charging (Portugal)
“In the long term, all heavy-duty vehicles will have to contribute to road financing. However, the coming years will be decisive for ZET market-uptake and free tolling for them is most likely to be an effective market incentive.”
—Julius Jöhrens, Team Lead Drive Systems, Institut für Energie und Umweltforschung Heidelberg gGmbH (Germany)
“This CALSTART/Drive to Zero initiative sends a strong signal that Europe is serious about accelerating the transition to zero-emission freight. By empowering Member States to implement road tolls for heavy vehicles while exempting zero-emission trucks until 2031, policymakers can create the economic clarity and planning certainty fleet operators need to confidently invest in electric transport.”
—Markus Kröger, Founder, K2 Mobility GmbH (Germany)
“Free tolling for zero-emission trucks is not only an effective way to improve the business case for fleet decarbonisation, but also a strong market signal that the transition to clean road freight is becoming a real economic direction for Europe. Predictable and ambitious implementation by Member States will help unlock private investment, accelerate replacement decisions, and give operators the confidence to scale zero-emission transport faster.”
—Robert Maciąg, CEO, LSP GROUP, (Poland)
“The electrification of road freight transport is a shared responsibility across the value chain. Governments play a decisive role in accelerating transition through targeted incentives and long-term policy certainty.”
—Roland Ferwerda, Managing Director, NTCS GreenBee (Netherlands)
“Closing the gaps in transport decarbonisation requires governments to match their climate ambitions with concrete policy action. Implementing toll exemptions for zero-emission trucks under the Eurovignette Directive is exactly the kind of practical, immediate measure that can shift the economics of fleet transition and unlock investment at scale.”
—Matilda Graham, Legal Manager, Opportunity Green (United Kingdom)
“The transition to zero-emission transport needs to speed up for Sweden and the European Union. Economic incentives are the way forward, which is why we are happy to support the proposal for toll-free zero-emission trucks.”
—Mattias Goldmann, ceo, Swedish 2030 Sekretariatet (Sweden)
“When properly implemented, the Eurovignette Directive has the potential to be an important driver of electrification of heavy-duty road transport. The extension of the possibility for Member States to exempt zero-emission vehicles from road tolls to 30 June 2031 is a welcome development, which can further strengthen this potential. We now call upon Member States to make use of this opportunity, and to implement CO2-based differentiation of charges fully and ambitiously – benefitting the climate, air quality, and Europe’s energy independence and global competitiveness.”
— Jennie Cato, Chief Public Affairs Officer, TRATON Group (Germany)
“Accelerating the shift to zero-emission freight requires a collective effort. By supporting free tolling for electric trucks, we empower the entire value chain to invest in the clean technologies of tomorrow, ensuring a sustainable future for European transport.”
—Franck van der Horst, VDL Bus & Coach
“As current oil and gas price shocks show, it is critical for the European Union’s members and neighbouring states to reduce dependency on unreliable fossil fuels. In many cases, the total cost of ownership (TCO) of electric transport is better than petrol and diesel, but regulation and adverse taxation are hindering this progress and stand in the way of the adoption of electric vehicles at scale.”
– Steven Meersman, Founder Director, Zenobē (United Kingdom/Australia)