Environmental zones and zero-emission zones are having an increasing impact on truck traffic in Europe. More and more cities are introducing stricter rules, meaning older diesel trucks are no longer allowed into certain areas. In this blog you will read which trucks are still allowed to drive in environmental zones and what this means for the value of your truck.
All over Europe, more and more environmental zones are appearing. An environmental zone is an area where, for example, trucks with a certain emission class are only allowed to drive to a limited extent or not at all.
For trucks, this almost always concerns diesel vehicles over 3,500 kg, because they account for a large share of urban NOx and particulate emissions.
In Europe you will come across several terms:
An environmental zone is an area, usually a city centre or urban ring where stricter rules apply for certain vehicles. The aim is simple: lower emissions, cleaner air and a healthier living environment for residents. Authorities themselves decide which vehicle types are covered (for example passenger cars, vans, buses or trucks) and which minimum emission class they must have. Older, more polluting vehicles are gradually being excluded from these areas step by step.
Checks are carried out using environmental stickers or vignettes, online registration and increasingly licence plate recognition cameras. If your vehicle does not meet the requirements and you enter the zone anyway, you will usually automatically receive a fine.
Important: an environmental zone is something different from a zero-emission zone. In an environmental zone, cleaner vehicles with emissions are still welcome, as long as they meet the standard. In a zero-emission zone, only vehicles without exhaust gases are allowed to drive, such as fully electric or hydrogen vehicles.
By now, more and more countries all over Europe have some form of environmental zone. You will find them in many Western, Central and Eastern European countries. Especially around larger cities and busy regions, the chances are high that you will encounter an environmental zone if you drive there with a truck.
How strict the rules are varies from country to country and even from city to city. Sometimes the focus is mainly on passenger cars and vans, but in many cases there are separate or stricter requirements for trucks. Think of a minimum Euro class, an obligatory environmental sticker or additional charges for older diesel trucks. If you drive internationally, it is therefore wise to plan your route in advance and to check for each country which zones you will encounter along the way.
The exact rules differ from country to country and from city to city, but you can follow some rules of thumb for each Euro class. This gives you a sense of how usable and future-proof your truck is.
Euro 0 to 3: Practically no longer welcome in the city
In most Western European countries, these trucks no longer have access to environmental zones in large cities. They are mainly still used outside urban areas or are exported to regions without environmental zones.
Euro 4: Phased out in most environmental zones
In recent years, many environmental zones have been tightened to at least Euro 5 or 6. As a result, these trucks are mainly still used for national or regional transport outside the large cities.
Euro 5: Still usable to a limited extent, but under pressure
In some cities you are still allowed into the environmental zone with Euro 5, sometimes with time restrictions or only up to a certain date. The trend is clear: more and more zones are moving to Euro 6 as a minimum, or are switching directly to zero-emission zones.
Euro 6: Current standard for environmental zones
In many European cities, Euro 6 is now the access standard for trucks. For anyone investing now in a diesel truck for international transport, Euro 6 is therefore the minimum starting point.
Zero-emission trucks
In zero-emission zones, only vehicles with zero exhaust emissions are welcome, namely hydrogen trucks and fully electric trucks.
Environmental zones and zero-emission zones have a direct impact on the residual value of trucks. Trucks with a low Euro class (Euro 0 to 3) are already no longer welcome in many cities. As a result, their value lies mainly in use outside environmental zones or in export countries; for urban transport in Europe they are largely out of the game.
For Euro 4 and Euro 5, the residual value is increasingly under pressure. At the moment you can often still use them for regional transport outside the major cities, but because more and more zones are going to at least Euro 6 or switching to zero-emission, the target group is shrinking and the value falls over time as well. Euro 6 trucks are currently the most future-proof: in many environmental zones this is the standard and they remain widely usable, especially if maintenance and mileage are in order.
For zero-emission trucks (electric or hydrogen), demand is growing especially in cities with zero-emission targets. The purchase price is higher, but because you keep access to zero-emission zones and often have lower operating costs, they can be interesting in the long run for companies that drive a lot in these kinds of zones.
Are you looking for a truck that is ready for current and future environmental zones? At BAS World you will find a large, international range of mainly Euro 6 trucks and young vehicles that you can continue to use in many European cities. On our website you can easily filter by, for example, Euro class, fuel type, year of manufacture and application.
Do you have questions about environmental zones or are you unsure which truck best suits your routes? Then feel free to contact one of our advisers. Together we will look at which truck best matches your business.
