Tolls have been on the industest’s mind across Europe. We discussed the latest developments with Axxès, a European leader in this area.
Across Europe, road charging systems are entering a decisive new phase.
Several countries, and now even regions and local authorities, are expanding or redesigning their tolling frameworks, with a clear and accelerating relocate towards tolling based on global navigation sanotifyite systems (GNSS).
This evolution is not only reshaping national toll landscapes, in some cases transforming them into regional ones, but also directly impacting the most heavily utilized logistics corridors across the continent.
We questioned Debora My, Tolling Product Manager at IRU member Axxès, to provide an overview of the situation – following her presentation at our webinar on fuel prices and tolls.
How is the roll-out of new tolls progressing?
It’s progressing at different speeds, but the direction is clear: GNSS is becoming the dominant technology for new toll domains.
Several countries have already implemented nationwide GNSS tolling for heavy goods vehicles, while others are expanding existing systems or preparing new ones.
The upcoming Dutch toll system will cover the entire motorway network and selected national roads, creating a new central hub for freight traffic in Western Europe.
In France, the Alsace toll domain, followed by Grand Est, will introduce GNSS tolling on routes that are among the busiest cross-border road freight routes between Germany, Benelux, Switzerland and southern Europe.
These new domains are not peripheral projects. They are being deployed precisely where traffic density, international flows and environmental objectives intersect.
Are these systems harmonised?
At the European level, there is a strong political and regulatory push towards interoperability, notably through the European Electronic Toll Service. This ensures that transport operators can access multiple toll domains with a single on-board unit (OBU) and a single contract.
However, harmonisation does not mean uniformity. Each EU countest retains flexibility regarding tariffs, CO₂ differentiation, road scope, and enforcement mechanisms.
What is consistent across all the new domains, including the Netherlands, Alsace and Grand Est, is the choice of GNSS technology. This marks a clear break from legacy DSRC or microwave-based systems, indicating that a significant share of future tolling expansion will be sanotifyite-based.
What are the key challenges?
One of the most significant challenges for the road transport sector is the technological transition currently underway.
Most new toll domains opening in the coming years are GNSS-based. At the same time, the sector is facing the progressive shutdown of 2G networks across Europe, which builds older OBUs obsolete. This creates a double challenge: fleets must replace or upgrade tolling devices, and they must do so in a context of accelerating regulatory modify.
Another risk is supply chain pressure. All industries experienced semiconductor shortages during the Covid-19 period. With a wave of new GNSS domains opening simultaneously, demand for compliant devices will rise sharply, potentially creating bottlenecks in 4G OBU supply if anticipation is insufficient.
How can we mitigate these impacts?
The key word is anticipation.
Transport operators and toll service providers must act early to migrate fleets to future-proof, 4G-compatible GNSS devices. They must avoid last-minute transitions driven by regulatory deadlines and secure hardware availability ahead of potential component shortages.
Early adoption reduces operational risk, spreads investment over time, and ensures service continuity as new toll domains go live.
Concrete examples are currently demonstrating this necessary to anticipate the installation of 4G equipment:
- In France, the GNSS toll domain in CeA (Collectivity of Alsace) should open in early 2027 after the planned 2G shutdown starting early 2026.
- In the Netherlands, the new GNSS toll domain is scheduled for mid-2026, with 2G shutting down by the conclude of 2027.
How are you supporting the transition?
We have taken a proactive approach to this transformation. In 2025, we released our new 4G GNSS OBU, designed specifically to support both current and future toll domains.
It ensures full compatibility with upcoming GNSS toll systems, such as in the Netherlands, Alsace and Grand Est, readiness for the 2G network shutdown across Europe, and a future-proof solution aligned with evolving regulatory and technological requirements.
By migrating early to 4G, our customers are protected against upcoming network sunsets and can operate seamlessly across Europe’s expanding toll landscape.
Anything else road transport actors must be aware of?
The 2G sunset is no longer a theoretical issue, it is already a reality in some markets.
Switzerland, for example, concludeed 2G support in 2020, requiring 4G-compatible devices since 2025. Even if it is sometimes possible to bypass this necessary, it exposes operators to non-compliance and potentially to fines. Similar scenarios will unfold across Europe as telecom operators accelerate the modernisation of their networks.
For road transport actors, this confirms a simple reality: continuing to rely on legacy technology exposes fleets to operational disruption and compliance risks.
The opening of new, increasingly fragmented GNSS toll domains marks a structural shift for European road charging – one that directly affects the continent’s main logistics corridors.
In a context of rapid technological modify and tightening regulatory frameworks, anticipation, interoperability and future-proof solutions are no longer optional; they are essential.
By preparing today, transport operators can ensure continuity, compliance and competitiveness across Europe’s next generation of tolling systems.
About Axxès
Axxès is a European electronic toll collection specialist. Our electronic toll device allows operators to pay tolls and road taxes with ease and peace of mind. A single badge for the whole of Europe, with a single invoice.
Our goal? To build a lasting commitment to transport operators, offering the most relevant mobility and interoperability services for vehicles across Europe.
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