Newsroom

Electric trucks are slowly getting cheaper, ranges are improving and the technology is ready to scale in many instances in Europe. DSV’s Anders Rousing explains why operators should start learning now – even before the business case is fully here.

IRU called for faster grid connections, affordable energy, accessible financing and fit-for-purpose regulation at two major Brussels policy events, as the EU negotiates its grids package and prepares to review the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).

IRU welcomes the opinions adopted today by the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy on CO₂ emission standards for cars and light commercial vehicles, supporting more realistic targets for vans and a role for sustainable fuels in the transition.

Seven in ten operators say customers won’t pay the extra cost of greener transport, according to IRU and Trimble’s 2026 Green Compact survey.

IRU welcomed a high-level Chinese delegation in Geneva, bringing together automotive associations CATARC and CASIC, as well as companies BYD, Huawei, Xiaomi and Great Wall Motor, for an in-depth exchange on the global road transport sector.

Together with its member the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), IRU held high-level talks with Sean Canney, Ireland’s Minister of State for Transport, on how the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the road transport sector can work together to deliver practical progress for operators.

IRU and Transport & Environment (T&E) are calling on the European Commission to establish a supportive EU framework for semi-private charging as part of the upcoming review of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).

IRU’s two new EU position papers call for semi-public depot charging and 30-day payment terms for road transport services. They address two practical conditions operators need to invest in zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure: charging access and predictable cash flow.

AdBlue is causing operational problems and significant costs for Finnish trucking companies during the winter. The problem is more pronounced in newer trucks.

Fuel prices are not the only thing going up. Truck tolls in Europe have risen by around 20% since 2023, directly impacting transport costs and operators' bottom lines. Toll regimes changed almost every month across the EU in 2026, and early 2027 looks to be just as busy. The trend is clear: more kilometre-based charging and CO₂ pricing.

IRU and bp have joined forces to further develop public charging infrastructure for electric trucks.

Connectivity, innovation and partnerships were on the agenda this week for IRU Secretary General Habib Turki. His series of high-level events and bilateral meetings with Chinese authorities, transport companies and IRU members has set the course for the next decade of international road transport cooperation.

Speaking at the Global Sustainable Transport Forum 2026 in Beijing, IRU outlined how buses and trucks, trade facilitation measures, and technology-neutral decarbonisation help make transport universally accessible.

IRU and the European Metropolitan Transport Authorities (EMTA) are urging the Irish Presidency and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to fix key provisions in the Industrial Accelerator Act's proposed “Buy European” rules for electric vehicles. They warn that the current approach risks forcing working electric buses off the road and penalising public transport operators and authorities that bought them in good faith.

IRU recently hosted the first meeting of the H2Accelerate TRUCKS Fuel Cell End User Group, bringing together 70 experts from Europe’s hydrogen and transport industries. Their focus: moving hydrogen trucks from pilot deployments to commercial scale.

One of the greatest strengths of coach tourism is its ability to connect travellers with places that other transport modes often cannot reach. While rail and aviation naturally concentrate passengers around major hubs, coaches provide the flexibility to reach smaller towns, rural communities and cultural routes, spreading the benefits of tourism more evenly.

The European Commission’s proposal for a new Public Procurement Regulation is a significant step towards quality-based competition, but further improvements are needed to ensure fair and competitive public procurement for road transport.

IRU welcomes global energy leader Air Liquide as its newest member.

IRU and T&E are calling on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to launch a strategic dialogue on heavy-duty vehicle decarbonisation, as key EU rules head for review and rising energy and cost pressures add urgency to getting the transition right.

At the time of IRU’s last fuel prices update, two weeks ago, road transport operators might have thought the worst was behind them. Today, volatility has returned in both crude supply and diesel price dynamics. Government support measures however are not keeping up.

IRU welcomes the Commission’s recognition of road transport as one of the key sectors in its Electrification Action Plan, which is an important step towards creating the conditions needed for operators to invest in electric vehicles.

IRU welcomes the provisional agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on targeted amendments to the Eurovignette Directive as an important step towards greater legal clarity on CO₂-based road charging for heavy-duty vehicles across the EU.

IRU takes note of the Council’s agreed negotiating position on the grids package as an important step towards strengthening the EU’s energy infrastructure to support electrification and decarbonisation.

How has IRU changed over the past 30 years? This was the question we put to IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto as he prepares to hand over to his successor.

Road transport is highly fragmented with large numbers of small and medium-sized (SME) operators. How can the sector help SMEs transition to carbon neutrality without putting their businesses at risk? This question was at the centre of the latest IRU Green Compact Roundtable, hosted by IRU member DP World in Paris, France.

IRU welcomes the launch of the European Commission’s final Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport call under the current 2021–2027 EU budget, which provides dedicated funding for three long-standing priorities of the commercial road transport sector: alternative fuels infrastructure, external border efficiency and digital innovation. The package includes EUR 130 million for alternative fuels infrastructure, EUR 20 million for external border-crossing improvements, and EUR 20 million for digi

IRU’s new position paper on the European Commission’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) calls for practical adjustments to ensure the framework strengthens industrial competitiveness and decarbonisation without undermining the road transport sector.

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has been in the road transport industry for over 30 years. As he prepares to hand over the reins, we sat down with him to reflect on those three decades. The first part of the interview looks at the industry. The second is on IRU itself.

As new powertrain technologies emerge and EU policies push towards zero-emission vehicles, operators face growing pressure to make the right long-term fleet investments. IRU member AFTRI, the French International Road Transport Association, helped us unpack the key factors shaping those choices.

The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement to strengthen the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) for the EU emissions trading system covering buildings, road transport and additional sectors (ETS2), ahead of its full launch in 2028. The agreement backs the European Commission’s proposal to reinforce the existing safeguards designed to limit excessive carbon price volatility.

With new French electric truck subsidies in place since 1 June 2026, a recent IRU webinar explored the total cost of ownership (TCO) and CO₂ emissions of different truck powertrains in France. The webinar was accompanied by the release of a new IRU Intelligence report on the subject.

IRU brought the voice of commercial road transport operators to POLITICO’s Energy & Climate Forum in Brussels, joining European Commissioners, national policymakers, members of the European Parliament, industry leaders and energy experts in discussions on Europe’s energy, climate and competitiveness agenda.

IRU and a cross-sector industry coalition have called on EU policymakers to prioritise infrastructure, investment support and enabling conditions in the transition to zero-emission corporate fleets.

IRU’s General Assembly and transport councils brought together members from around the world to connect, discuss and decide on key issues.

IRU played a prominent role in bridging EU and national policies, as well as policymaker and operator priorities, at Transpotec Logitec and Next Mobility 2026, a major international exhibition and conference for freight transport, logistics and passenger mobility in Milan, Italy.