Piette Lahutte, the brand president of Iveco, has been elected by the Commercial Vehicle Board of Directors of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) as its new Chairman for 2019.

Pierre Lahutte, brand president of Iveco

Lahutte takes over the chairmanship from Joachim Drees, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus, for a yearly term.

His appointment comes 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 start.

“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.

The organisation said that meeting the CO2 targets will not be possible without major investments in refuelling and charging points, but commented that a clear EU action plan for truck-specific infrastructure is lacking and will be a key priority for the ACEA in the years to come.

Lahutte added: “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.”