In most cases, electric trucks will beat diesel trucks on the total cost of ownership even sooner, according to the study by TNO, commissioned by T&E in collaboration with Agora Verkehrswende. Furthermore, the gap to 100% could be bridged by a handful of trucks making an extra stop beyond what is legally required to charge and, even with that additional stop, they would still be cheaper to buy and run, the study has found.
 

Commenting on the report, Fedor Unterlohner, Clean Freight Manager at T&E, says: ‘EU lawmakers can set a 2035 deadline to reach zero emissions sales with confidence that electric rigs will beat diesel trucks every time. This will cut costs for hauliers and clean up trucking while allowing European truck makers to retain their global leadership.’
 

However, the EU needs to increase its CO₂  emissions reduction target for truck manufacturers to 65% in 2030 if zero emissions freight trucks are to reach almost 100% of sales five years later, T&E says. Sticking with the current EU climate targets for truck makers would result in 1.3mn fewer zero emission trucks on the road in 2035, suggests the study. T&E notes stronger EU standards from the 2020s onwards would force manufacturers to deliver on their voluntary commitments to electrify. Already today, most zero emissions trucks in the urban delivery segment beat diesel on cost and capabilities, but weak targets for truck makers result in them not being supplied to hauliers.
 

Going the distance
Electric freight trucks will match their diesel equivalents on distance travelled, the study also shows. It finds that almost all freight trucks in Europe travel less than 800 km/d – which is within the range of the newest battery electric trucks when charged during the legally required driver breaks. Even the biggest electric long-haul trucks will be able to carry the same weight of goods as diesel by 2030 because the weight of the battery is offset by removing the engine and by a two-tonne extra allowance for zero emission vehicles under EU rules.
 

Wiebke Zimmer, Deputy Director of Agora Verkehrswende, says: ‘Progress towards climate neutrality in transport is not as fast as it needs to be. This makes it all the more important to fully exploit the technical and economic potential for emission-free road freight transport right from the start. In addition to ambitious CO₂ standards for trucks, this also requires further measures such as purchase subsidies and CO₂-based tolling.’

The European Commission is expected to make a proposal to tighten climate targets for heavy-duty vehicles in the coming months.