Lorry traffic becoming less polluting

Since the introduction of lorries with engines which meet the Euro 6 emission standard in 2013, the use of these lorries has increased by 2.2 percentage points on average in each consecutive quarter. Euro 6 engines emit 97 percent less nitrogen than Euro 1 engines. Compared with Euro 5 engines, nitrogen emissions by Euro 6 engines have been reduced further from 2 grams to 0.4 grams per kilometre. Particulate matter emissions by Euro 6 engines are half the amount emitted by Euro 4 and Euro 5 engines.

The longer the journey, the more lorries with Euro 6 engines

In the first two quarters of 2019, no more than 9 percent of all journeys were made by lorries with an environmental classification up to Euro 4. In 2013, this share was still 42 percent. The longer the journey, the lower the use of lorries with engines in environmental classes 0 to 4. In the first half of 2019, over 15 percent of journeys with a distance of up to 10 km were made by lorries in these environmental categories. This was 3 percent among journeys covering more than 300 km. For almost three-quarters of journeys with this distance, lorries were used with a Euro 6 engine.

Lower road toll charges due to cleaner engines

In international road haulage to and from the Netherlands, 95 percent of all journeys were made by lorries with a Euro 5 or 6 engine. Because these engines are cleaner, hauliers incur lower toll charges abroad. For example, hauliers pay over 20 percent less toll in Germany for a lorry running on a Euro 6 engine than one running on a Euro 3 engine.

Most international journeys made to and from neighbouring countries

International transport by Dutch lorries is for the most part to and from Germany and Belgium. Of all international journeys made by Dutch lorries in the first half of this year, 88 percent had either of these two countries as origin or destination. The share of Euro 6 engine-operated lorries among these trips amounted to 68 percent. In addition, Dutch lorries often drive across Germany and Belgium when transporting goods to and from countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland and Italy. Among journeys to and from these countries, the share of lorries running on a Euro 6 engine was 76 percent.