Tyrol freight operators launch push for electric trucks

Freight operators have launched a campaign to put more electric heavy trucks on the north-south route through Tyrol. ORF reported that the Grüner Brenner initiative was presented at the industry’s annual meeting in Radfeld on Saturday, in partnership with Austrian organisations after starting in Bavaria.

The initiative’s supporters say the technology is available and electric trucks could significantly reduce noise and emissions. But the vehicles remain too expensive and there are not enough charging stations along the routes, said Ulf Schmidt, a logistics specialist and head of the freight transport division at the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce. Some businesses are willing to invest, he said, and charging infrastructure could expand as demand grows.

The campaign also seeks to move more freight onto rail. Freight operators called for a new container terminal in Wörgl, saying it could make the shift more efficient. They said the project had so far received little support from the state government and urged politicians to build the necessary connections as well as tunnels.

At the meeting, operators from Tyrol and Bavaria also discussed the future of road transport. The European Court of Justice is expected to rule this autumn on the next steps following Italy’s lawsuit over Tyrol’s transit measures. Freight operators have differing views on the issue.