Germany to Invest Billion-Plus in Environmental Trucking

Berlin (GTAI) - Germany's government department for transportation, the Ministry for Digital and Transport, is putting more than EUR one billion into climate-friendly transport vehicles. 

This additional money comes after the ministry received four times as many applications for support for projects in its 2022 round of funding compared compared with 2021.

“The market for emissions-free transport vehicles has begun to take off,” said Digital and Transport Minister Volker Wissing in a statement. “The market is developing very dynamically, and there’s great interest. That’s shown by the interest in our support program Climate Friendly Transport Vehicles and Infrastructure. In the current round of funding we’re putting some 7000 climate-friendly transport vehicles on the road and supporting over 1000 companies – and not just from the logistics sector.”

By 2030, Germany wants to see 75 percent of all newly registered transport vehicles be emissions-free. 40 percent of the vehicles supported thus far are heavyweights of twelve tons or more. Some 3000 filling and charging points have also been funded.

The call for applications for the new round of funding is planned for the third quarter of 2023.

“As the ministry said, this a dynamically expanding market,” explains Germany Trade & Invest CEO Robert Hermann. “There are lots of market niches opening up in areas associated with Germany’s transition to carbon neutrality, and international businesses should be aware of them. Germany’s location in the center of Europe means that it is a natural hotspot for environmentally friendly logistics.”