Iveco Welcomes The German Federal Council’s Final Decision To Extend Motorway Toll Exemption For Natural Gas Heavy Duty Trucks

The toll extension will benefit transporters who operate IVECO’s Natural Power heavy-duty in their fleets, both on German and international routes, due to the country’s central position at the crossroads of the main European long-haul corridors. The decision will also boost the efforts for the implementation of biogas as a path to zero emission.

IVECO is also celebrating today World Environment Day with a new video on Sustainability that highlights the need to drive a change in the industry, pushing the boundaries of respect for the environment.

Today, on World Environment Day, IVECO welcomes the German Federal Council’s (Bundesrat) final decision to extend the motorway toll exemption for Compressed and Liquefied Natural Gas (CNG and LNG) heavy-duty trucks over 7.5 tons until December 31st, 2023. This is a further important step towards achieving climate targets, which supports the more widespread use of the mature alternative traction technology available today for heavy goods traffic. The toll exemption provides freight forwarders with additional financial advantages and improved return on their investment, which will be particularly welcome in the current difficult times. It is also an important lever to reduce the transport industry’s carbon footprint.

Thomas Hilse, IVECO Brand President, stated: “We at IVECO are really happy to welcome the German Federal Council’s final decision, which comes with perfect timing on this year’s World Environment Day. This means a clear recognition of the environmental benefits of this technology on the path towards zero emissions. The LNG infrastructure is growing. Together with the expanding distribution network and the existing government subsidies supporting this fuel, this extension would give our customers a clear signal that the transition to LNG transport is unstoppable”.

With this extension, the natural gas-powered IVECO S-WAY NP will continue to travel toll-free in Germany for a further three years. With IVECO S-WAY NP, which is available in CNG and LNG versions, freight forwarders will benefit not only from the toll exemption until December 31, 2023 and the significantly lower fuel costs, but also from subsidies for new purchases until the end of 2020.

The IVECO S-WAY NP also raises the bar in sustainability: the natural gas is not only much quieter, but also far more environmentally friendly than an equivalent diesel engine. Compared to a diesel truck, the NO2 and particulate matter emissions are significantly lower. Very importantly, it opens the way to decarbonization for logistics operators: with bio-methane it is possible to achieve the almost complete abatement of CO2 emissions, creating a virtuous circle of economical and eco-friendly self-sufficiency – a shining example of circular economy. IVECO’s bio-LNG heavy-duty trucks provide the answer today, with the performance, autonomy range and low TCO that transporters need to operate their green fleets efficiently and profitably. .

This announcement coincides with World Environment Day which IVECO is celebrating today with a new video on sustainability [https://youtu.be/1a3U1VJPSQo] that highlights the need to drive a change in the industry, pushing the boundaries of respect for the environment. It states the brand’s goal to work towards a sustainable ecosystem in the transport industry that works for all – people, business and nature.

The video’s message is in perfect harmony with this year’s World Environment Day, which under the theme is “It’s Time for Nature”, encourages the global community to take care for nature and change the trajectory we are on. In particular, the event’s Manifesto exhorts the private sector to adopt environmentally sustainable business models, and IVECO’s goal of creating a sustainable ecosystem to decarbonize transport certainly qualifies.

The video takes inspiration from Charles Darwin’s well-known words: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives or the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” With this statement as a starting point, in the video IVECO highlights the need for change, decarbonizing transport to address the issues of Climate Change and air quality in city centres. It makes a strong statement about its longstanding commitment to sustainable transport, which has led to its pioneering alternative traction systems and its leadership in natural gas technology.

The video ends with the claim: “Drive the change. Be Unstoppable”: with its disruptive approach to developing Natural Gas as the sustainable fuel for transport, IVECO aims to be an unstoppable catalyst as it paves the way to decarbonization.