Eight German manufacturers of truck trailers are taking their case to the European Court of Justice. They challenge Regulation (EU) 2024/1610, which since 1 July 2024 also sets binding CO2 reduction targets for trailers. According to the companies, this could entail significant cost increases, a deterioration of transport efficiency, and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.
Background: Regulation with penalty mechanisms
Since 1 July 2024, the regulation requires that semi-trailers reduce their CO2 emissions by ten percent and other trailers by 7.5 percent. The basis is the EU's own simulation tool Vecto-Trailer. If manufacturers do not meet the targets, penalties are imposed. The amounts are €4,250 per vehicle and per gram of CO2 emissions per tonne-kilometre. Industry calculations suggest that trailer prices
could rise by up to 40 percent as a result.
Criticism of the methodology
The companies emphasize that trailers themselves do not produce emissions. The simulations of the Vecto-Trailer tool were based on theoretical parameters such as reduced height or weight. While these led to savings in the model calculations, in practice they reduced the load volume and caused more empty trips.
„A tool that simulates CO2 savings even though more trucks are on the road in reality runs counter to the climate goals. We need real efficiency gains in the overall system rather than modeled pseudo-solutions. The regulation in its current form threatens not only the climate goals but also locations, competitive conditions, and over 70,000 jobs. We therefore see no alternative but
to take legal action,“ said Gero Schulze Isfort, spokesman for the manufacturers’ initiative.
Threat to transport efficiency
The manufacturers point out that modern trailers already achieve efficiency gains today through lightweight construction, aerodynamics, optimized rolling resistance as well as steering, lift and electric axles. Instead of taking these advances into account, the regulation evaluates only individual model parameters. According to the information, this could weaken transport efficiency across Europe as a whole and could even increase CO2 emissions.
Economic consequences
The eight participating companies – Fliegl Fahrzeugbau, Kögel Trailer, Krone Commercial Vehicle SE, Langendorf, Schmitz Cargobull AG, Schwarzmüller, System Trailers Fahrzeugbau and Wecon – are predominantly SMEs. Unlike large groups, they do not have unlimited financial resources to implement the new requirements on short
notice. According to their own statements, more than 70,000 jobs in industry and supplier networks are at risk. The competitiveness of European locations would also be at stake.
Industry demands
The manufacturers call for the abolition of the Vecto-Trailer simulation tool, a moratorium on penalties, and the crediting of emissions-free tractor units toward the CO2 targets for trailers.
„Climate protection requires holistic thinking. Only if the entire transport chain becomes more efficient will we achieve real CO2 savings,“ said Schulze Isfort, spokesman for the manufacturers’ initiative.
Broad support
The lawsuit is supported by the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). The association also considers the CO2 targets in their current form technically unfeasible and warns about the consequences for the majority of trailer manufacturers
