FACT SHEET EUROPE

NOVEMBER 2022

Zero-emission bus and truck

market in Europe: A 2021 update
Eamonn Mulholland

This fact sheet provides an overview of the 2021 market for new zero-emission
heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) in Europe—including buses, heavy trucks, and light and
medium trucks.1

The global zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle (ZE-HDV) market continues to be

dominated by China, which accounts for nearly 92% of zero-emission sales since 2019,
and 97% since 2012. As such, the sales of zero-emission trucks and buses in Europe are
dwarfed by the Chinese market; Of the 117,000 total sales of ZE-HDVs globally, 4,000
were in Europe. However, the market for ZE-HDVs in Europe is expanding rapidly, with
sales increasing by an average of 72% per year over the past five years. Even as the
total sales volume of HDVs fell in the period 2019–2020 following the pandemic, the
sales share of ZE-HDVs continued to grow.

Latin America
0.5%

Africa
0.3%

US & Canada China

0.9% 91.7%

Europe
4.3%

Asia except China

2.3%

Figure 1. Shares of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle sales by region in 2019–2021

1 Buses refers to all buses with a gross vehicle weight above 3.5t. Heavy trucks include trucks with a gross
vehicle weight greater than 12 tons; Light and medium trucks include trucks with a gross vehicle weight
between 3.5 and 12 tons. This fact sheet focuses on the sale and registration of commercial trucks and all
buses in the 27 Member States of Europe, excluding Bulgaria.
220K
207K
200K

180K 178K

160K
148K
140K
127K
120K 119K 117K

100K
79K
80K
China
60K Asia except China
Europe
40K US and Canada
29K Latin America
20K Africa
2K 4K Other
0K
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Figure 2. Global zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle sales

The majority of this growth was derived from the bus sector. Last year, zero-emission
buses comprised a sales share above 10% across the EU-27, 2 outpacing the share
witnessed in the private car market. As there is currently of no regulation requiring
manufacturers to invest in zero-emission buses, the growth in sales of ZE-HDVs
is largely driven through demand. The Clean Vehicles Directive came into force in
August of 2021, requiring between 12% and 25% of all publicly procured buses to be
zero-emission. This is expected to drive sales of zero-emission vehicles further in the
coming years.

Total sales volumes of zero-emission trucks remain low, particularly in the heavy truck
segment. Just 0.1% of total sales of trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) above 12
tons were zero-emission. Light and medium trucks with a GVW between 3.5 t and 12 t
experienced higher growth, largely driven from the increased number of Streetscooter
branded light trucks entering the market in Germany.

4,000 4,000
Buses Rest of EU-27
Heavy trucks Austria
Light and medium trucks Czech Republic
3,000 3,000 Spain
Finland
Sweden
2,000 2,000 Denmark
The Netherlands
Italy
France
1,000 1,000 Germany

0 0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Figure 3. Zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle sales in Europe by vehicle type and Member State

The majority of ZE-HDV sales are located with Western Europe—Germany and France

2 Data sourced from EV-Volumes (sales, global), https://www.ev-volumes.com/datacenter/ and IHS-Markit

(registrations), IHS Global SA; Copyright © IHS Global SA, 2022.

2 ICCT FACT SHEET | ZERO-EMISSION BUS AND TRUCK MARKET IN EUROPE: A 2021 UPDATE
 accounted for over half of the ZE-HDV sales in 2021—while sales in Eastern Europe
remain low in comparison. Battery electric technology dominates the ZE-HDV market.
Battery sizes in heavy trucks averaged 288 kWh, 310 kWh in buses, and 76 kWh in light
and medium trucks. The market for fuel cell trucks remains nascent, with just 15 fuel cell
trucks and 74 fuel cell buses sold in 2021.

2021 Since 2012

3% 1%
7% 4% Fuel cell
Battery electric

97% 100% 99% 100%

93% 96%

Buses Heavy Light and Buses Heavy Light and

trucks medium trucks trucks medium trucks
Figure 4. Technology shares of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle sales in Europe

700
Sales

150

600 300

600
500
Battery size (kWh)

400

300

200

100

0
Buses Heavy Light and
trucks medium
trucks

Figure 5. Battery size distribution of battery-electric heavy-duty vehicle sales in Europe in 2021

3 ICCT FACT SHEET | ZERO-EMISSION BUS AND TRUCK MARKET IN EUROPE: A 2021 UPDATE
 Medium trucks Buses
Heavy trucks (77%)
(15%) (8%)

0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000

New HDV registrations in Europe by vehicle group, 2021
Figure 6. New heavy-duty vehicle registrations in Europe by vehicle group in 2021

Sales of natural gas fueled vehicles have been growing most notably in the bus market.
Under the Clean Vehicles Directive, natural gas is deemed as a clean fuel, despite
offering neither climate nor health benefits. The targets for public procurement
established in this Directive may thus be achieved through purchasing natural gas
fueled buses, partially giving rise to an increase in their sales share.

The market for HDVs has been traditionally dominated by a small number of
manufacturers. Just seven manufacturers were responsible for 97% of all truck sales
in the EU-27 in 2021. The bus market is slightly less consolidated, with the top seven
manufacturers responsible for 74% of sales. The increasing demand for zero-emission
vehicles is giving way to new entrants to the market, most visibly in the bus market.
Several bus manufacturers have entered the market who are solely focused on ZE-HDV
production, such as BYD for buses, Emoss for heavy trucks, and Streetscooter for light
and medium trucks.

Conventional technology Alternative technology

Diesel Battery electric Natural gas

Buses 11% 12%

FuelCell
Heavy trucks 4%

Light and
medium 2% 2%
trucks

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

Figure 7. Conventional and alternative technology shares of new heavy-duty vehicle registrations

There have been an increasing number targets set by countries in Europe for the
phase-out of conventional fueled trucks across the EU-27. Six Member States—
Portugal, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, The Netherland, and Austria—have signed a
Global Memorandum of Understanding, pledging for 30% of sales of trucks and buses
to be zero-emission by 2030 and 100% by 2040.

Some of these countries have pledged even more ambitious targets beyond this
Memorandum. For trucks, Austria has pledged to phase out the sale of conventional
fueled vehicles with a GVW less than 18 t from 2030 onward, and 2035 onward for
vehicles with a GVW above 18 t. For buses, The Netherlands has pledged to only buy
zero-emission buses from 2025. Denmark follows closely behind, with the same target
but for city buses. Ireland intends to have a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.
Austria plans to cease the sale of conventional buses from 2032, with the intention of
having a full zero-emission fleet in operation by 2040.

4 ICCT FACT SHEET | ZERO-EMISSION BUS AND TRUCK MARKET IN EUROPE: A 2021 UPDATE
 42% Overall market
Mercedes-Benz
19% share 2021
20%
Iveco Bus Zero-emission market
share 2019-2021
16%
MAN 3%
6%
Solaris
20%
5%
Setra
Buses
3%
VDL
1 1%

Heuliez Bus
8%

BYD
10%
6%
Other
30%

20%
Mercedes-Benz
10%
17%
MAN
10%
16%
Volvo Trucks
25%
14%
DAF
9%
14%
Heavy Scania 7%
trucks 9%
Renault Trucks
14%
9%
Iveco
4%
Emoss
7%
Terberg
4%
Other
10%

27%
Mercedes-Benz
2%
12%
Mitsubishi Fuso
5%
12%
MAN

Light and 4%
Renault Trucks
medium
trucks 28%
Iveco

Fiat

Ford
19%

Street Scooter
63%

Other
6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Figure 8. European heavy-duty vehicle market share by manufacturer

5 ICCT FACT SHEET | ZERO-EMISSION BUS AND TRUCK MARKET IN EUROPE: A 2021 UPDATE
 Trucks Buses
Finland
2040: New buses
Finland 100% zero-emission
2040: New trucks
100% zero-emission Denmark
2025: New city buses
100% zero-emission
Denmark 2030: City bus fleet
2040: New trucks 100% zero-emission
100% zero-emission Netherlands
2025: New buses
100% zero-emission
Netherlands 2030: Bus fleet
2040: New trucks 100% zero-emission
100% zero-emission
Ireland
2035: Bus fleet
Luxembourg 100% zero-emission
2040: New trucks
100% zero-emission Luxembourg
2040: New buses
100% zero-emission
Portugal Portugal
2040: New trucks 2040: New buses
100% zero-emission 100% zero-emission

Austria Austria
2030: New trucks < 18 t 2032: New buses
100% zero-emission 100% zero-emission
2035: New trucks > 18 t 2040: Bus fleet
100% zero-emission 100% zero-emission

Figure 9. Phase out targets for conventional trucks and buses in Europe

www.theicct.org

communications@theicct.org
RELATED PUBLICATION:
Title: Race to zero: How manufacturers are positioned for zero-emission commercial trucks and twitter @theicct
buses in Europe

Authors: Hussein Basma and Felipe Rodríguez

Download: https://theicct.org/publication/race-to-zero-ze-hdv-eu-dec21/

Contact: Eamonn Mulholland, e.mulholland@theicct.org

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