Daimler Truck CEO warns EU CO2 rules could cripple European truck industry

Daimler Truck chief executive Karin Rådström told the German press that the European Union’s CO₂‑reduction targets for heavy trucks pose an existential threat to the sector. The EU regulation requires a 43 % cut in CO₂ emissions of new heavy‑duty vehicles by 2030 compared with 2019 levels. For each percentage point the fleet falls short, Daimler Truck would face fines of about €120 million. The company currently records only 2 % of new‑truck registrations as electric in 2025, far below the 35 % zero‑emission share needed to meet the target. Rådström warned that missing the goals by ten points would erase the segment’s profit, with EBIT falling from €922 million in 2024 to €698 million in 2025. She cited inadequate charging and refuelling infrastructure and the low profit margins of customers as the main obstacles. The truckmaker is calling for a regulatory review that links the CO₂ rules to the pace of infrastructure deployment and for a CO₂‑differentiated toll system to give the industry more time to adapt.