The EU has proposed new regulations for truck dimensions, which have just been sent to the Parliament. The proposed extra length is meant to improve air resistance, and it might be added at the front and at the rear of the truck combination. Also trucks are allowed to be a little wider to allow sideskirts to streamline the sides of the vehicle. The truck industry has applied for these new regulations, it seems now that Brussels intends to approve them. Vehicle combinations can be up to 100 cm longer in the future, but the defined loading space as it exists now, has to stay the same. When these new proposals are approved, member states may still decide for themselves if and how to implement the new regulations. A fact is that with these air resistance measurements, trucks will run between seven and twelve percent more economical. Also, Brussels expects to reduce pedestrian and bicylist casualties significantly.
Brussels has also proposed that the extra weight which comes with hybrid and electrical drivelines, won’t be of influence on the requirements of the driver. The proposal is that these vehicles can be up to a tonne heavier without any penalty regarding the driver’s licence. For instance, when a regular distribution truck weighs 7,5 tonnes, which makes it suitable for the C1 licence, the hybrid variant of some 8,5 tonnes will be allowed to be driven with a C1 licence as well.
Everybody is ready for Euro-6. Meanwhile, improval of air resistance has been studied for a long time and it is going to be one of the main issues to reduce CO2 emissions further. Scania and Renault already showed prototypes of what these new, streamlined trucks could look like.