Locked Out of Green Finance: What’s Holding Truckmakers Back? - CleanTechnica

The article "Locked Out of Green Finance: What’s Holding Truckmakers Back?" from CleanTechnica examines why European truck manufacturers, despite pledging a zero-emission future, have yet to secure significant green finance to support their transition to electric vehicles (EVs). While Chinese competitors rapidly scale up electric truck production, European makers lag behind, partly because they rely heavily on conventional financing methods like bank loans and standard bonds that lack climate-related conditions. Green bonds, which could theoretically support sustainable investments, remain unattractive due to strict earmarking, additional reporting requirements, and no guaranteed financial benefits such as a "greenium"—a consistent lower borrowing cost for green debt. Regulatory uncertainty around EU truck CO₂ standards and alignment with EU Taxonomy criteria further dampens investor confidence, limiting demand for green financial instruments in the sector. The article recommends several measures to overcome these barriers. Truck manufacturers should initiate pilot green finance projects to increase EV-related capital expenditure and improve transparency, especially regarding Scope 3 emissions and