Leaders in the EU transport sector have signed a joint letter addressed to the 27 European Union members states and the key European representatives calling for ambitious targets for electric recharging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

The letter states, “On behalf of the signatories, we urge Member States and Members of European Parliament to set ambitious provisions for electric recharging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, which will allow for the rapid uptake of zero-emission vehicles.”

According to a European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), the organization and three other organizations – the International Road Transport Union (IRU), Transport & Environment (T&E), Hydrogen Europe (HE) – voiced their concerns that targets set in the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR) may be substantially weakened during the legislative process.

Lowering the target goals – especially their timing – could lead to a significant setback in achieving objectives of the European Green Deal, the ACEA reported.

“Alternative fuels infrastructure targets must be ambitious to allow for a wide deployment of zero-emission vehicles in the EU,” reads the letter.

The appeal declares “ambitious mandatory” Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) targets for battery-electric vehicles are “crucial” by 2025. Equally important, are fully deployed hydrogen refueling stations along both the TEN-T core and comprehensive road networks with sufficient minimum daily capacities by meeting the AFIR targets at the latest by 2030.

“Furthermore, ambitious objectives and targets should be set for urban nodes, since zero-emission heavy- and light-duty vehicles have an important role to play in reducing emissions in European cities,” the letter adds.