In a landmark decision, Norway has established a new target that mandates all new trucks in 2030 to be zero-emission vehicles or run on biogas.
This agreement was reached during the budget negotiations between the government and the SV party on Sunday.
This marks the first time Norway has set a long-term goal for discontinuing the sale of polluting trucks.
The breakthrough in heavy transport news has been welcomed by climate enthusiasts.
Christina Bu, the Secretary-General of the Electric Vehicle Association, expressed her excitement, stating, “It’s groundbreaking that Norway sets a goal for when we should stop purchasing polluting new trucks.”
The previous target from the National Transport Plan aimed for 50% of trucks to be emission-free by 2030.
However, the Environmental Directorate recommended that this goal was outdated and that the ambition needed to be increased.
The Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) has now acted upon this recommendation, urging the government to present a set of measures outlining how the new target will be achieved.
“We look forward to contributing ideas on how the new 2030 target can be achieved,” says Bu.
The Electric Vehicle Association has intensified efforts over the past year to electrify heavy transport, and this breakthrough is celebrated as a significant step forward.
Additional funding accompanies the initiative, with Enova receiving an extra allocation of 285 million Norwegian kroner for zero-emission trucks as part of the budget agreement.
The immediate aim is to raise the electric share of new heavy vehicles from 10% to 20% by 2024.
These funds will support Enova’s existing subsidy scheme for the purchase of heavy vehicles and business charging infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles.
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