Brussels, 9 January 2019 – The Commercial Vehicle Board of Directors of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has elected Pierre Lahutte as its new Chairman for 2019.
Mr Lahutte is the Brand President of IVECO at CNH Industrial and takes over the chairmanship from Joachim Drees, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus.
As the negotiations between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council – the so-called ‘trilogue’ meetings, which mark the final major step in the legislative process – formally kicked off yesterday, ACEA reiterates the need for a well-balanced regulation that is ambitious, but realistic at the same time.
“Our clear priority for the next months is the conclusion of the new regulation introducing the EU’s first-ever CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles. The European truck industry is the world’s technological leader in fuel economy, with new trucks that consume less than 1 litre of fuel for 100km per tonne already available on the market,” Pierre Lahutte underlined.
However, the CO2 reduction levels proposed by the EU pose a major challenge for truck manufacturers. Lahutte: “We need to pave the way for viable solutions, keeping in mind that trucks rely almost exclusively on diesel today. This clearly implies a 360-degree approach which not only looks at further optimising vehicles, but also the massive challenge of rolling out the refueling infrastructure necessary for alternatively-powered trucks.”
Indeed, meeting these extremely ambitious CO2 targets will not be possible without major investments in refuelling and charging points, but a clear EU action plan for truck-specific infrastructure is completely lacking today. Ensuring that this is put in place will remain a key priority for ACEA in years to come.
Lahutte: “The jobs of the people who will manufacture the trucks and buses of tomorrow depend on policy makers striking the right balance today. They need to keep in mind that for our customers commercial vehicles are essential investments in capital goods, which are necessary for the proper functioning of our economy and society at large.”
The ACEA Commercial Vehicle Board elects a new Chairman for a yearly term.
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Notes for editors
Pierre Lahutte is IVECO Brand President. He was born on 8 March 1972 in Amiens, France.
Mr Lahutte holds a Tank Officer degree from the Saumur Cavalry School, a Master’s in Marketing and Technology Management from the NEOMA Rouen Business School, and an MBA from the UMass Isenberg School of Management.
He has 20 years of experience in the agricultural-equipment as well as the bus and truck industries, much of which he has gained through roles of increasing responsibility within New Holland, CNH and IVECO.
Mr Lahutte was appointed IVECO Brand President in 2014, and in this capacity he joined the Group Executive Council of CNH Industrial. Since then, he has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
About ACEA
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) is the Brussels-based trade association of the 15 major car, van, truck and bus producers in Europe.
The ACEA commercial vehicle members are DAF Trucks, Daimler Trucks, Iveco, MAN Truck & Bus, Scania, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, and Volvo Group.
More information can be found on www.acea.be or @ACEA_eu.
Contact: Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, cm@acea.be, +32 2 738 73 45.
About the EU automobile industry
13.3 million people – or 6.1% of the EU employed population – work directly and indirectly in the sector.
The 3.4 million jobs in automotive manufacturing represent over 11% of total EU manufacturing employment.
Motor vehicles account for some €413 billion in tax contributions in the EU15.
The sector is also a key driver of knowledge and innovation, representing Europe’s largest private contributor to R&D, with €54 billion invested annually.
The automobile industry generates a trade surplus of €90.3 billion for the EU.