French media: 29% of trucks in China are electric, while France only has 2%: Will Europe hand over the market to Chinese manufacturers?

According to French economic media "Les Echos," China is advancing truck electrification at an astonishing speed, while Europe is hesitant. Marie Chéron, an expert on electric vehicles from the French Association for Sustainable Transport and Environment (T&E France), warned that this is no longer a technical issue, but a strategic challenge related to European industrial competitiveness and economic sovereignty.

China: Rapid Growth of Electric Trucks; Europe: Slow Start

"Les Echos" reported that China is achieving goals that Europe still considers "too early": after electric cars and electric buses, China is rapidly advancing truck electrification. In 2025, the share of electric trucks among newly sold trucks in China reached 29%. This transformation stems from China's clear strategic choices: strong public policies, rapid progress in battery technology, and large-scale deployment of charging infrastructure. China is preparing for its electric trucks to enter international markets, including Europe.

In contrast, Europe is still at the beginning stage: among the approximately 300,000 new trucks sold annually, only thousands are electric. In France, only 2 out of every 100 new trucks sold are electric.

Market Share Competition

The report suggests that the current question is no longer whether Chinese manufacturers will enter the European market, but how much market share Europe is willing to give up to Chinese manufacturers. The truck industry creates 577,000 jobs in Europe and generates annual revenue of 29 billion euros, making its strategic significance evident.

European manufacturers are prepared, but their capacity increase is slow. EU regulations clearly state that one-third of new trucks sold by 2030 must be electric. Achieving this goal is not a choice, but a necessary condition for industrial survival.

However, some industries prefer to gain time rather than accelerate the transition. Strong lobbying efforts have succeeded: the European Commission proposed relaxing the 2030 carbon dioxide emission targets, achieving "accounting greening" for diesel vehicles through a "carbon credit" mechanism, rather than truly reducing emissions, while delaying the industrialization of zero-emission vehicles.

Double Disadvantages in Technology and Policy

Europe's current core issue is both industrial and political: on one hand, Europe is paying the price for innovation lag – many electric trucks are still modified from diesel vehicles, with complex structures and high costs; whereas in China, manufacturers start from scratch, using dedicated electric platforms, optimizing battery integration. On the other hand, insufficient public policy support: in France and several other member states, tax and regulatory policies still favor diesel vehicles over electric ones.

The report states that regardless, EU member states and the European Parliament must make a choice: not how to avoid the target, but how to achieve it. Vehicle purchase subsidies, incentive tax policies, highway carbon charges, and fast deployment of charging infrastructure – these policy tools are well known. If not initiated quickly, the market will not reach the required critical mass.

According to the analysis of the "Transport and Environment" organization, too slow a transition could lead to European manufacturers losing up to 11% of market share by 2035.

France: Legislative Opportunity

The upcoming "Transport Framework Law" in France provides a key opportunity. By setting a clear path for the electrification of logistics for large companies, France can send a strong signal to the entire industry, and is expected to catch up with Nordic countries, becoming a leading country in road transport decarbonization.

The report finally suggests that France could draw inspiration from the ecological scoring model of the automotive industry, establishing a similar mechanism for heavy trucks, thereby strengthening the European supply chain and guiding the market toward more environmentally friendly vehicles.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1856827453389952/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.