The expansion of a more powerful charging infrastructure and improvements in battery efficiency are the key challenges of a process that is still marginal.
Road freight transport is following the same electrification path as private passenger vehicles, but at a much slower pace. Truck brands launch new products every year to stimulate a market that is still very small but is growing steadily every year. The lack of charging infrastructure and the low autonomy of batteries compared to diesel tanks are the main obstacles to this electrification process which, according to European regulations, must contribute decisively to reducing emissions by 45% in five years and by 90% in 2040.
In a world that is moving towards decarbonization, road transport is one of the sectors that is in the spotlight due to its significant contribution to air pollution and climate change. Studies indicate that the gases expelled from the exhaust pipes of all types of vehicles used for road transport account for a quarter of the total. Of this portion, more than 70% comes from trucks that move goods and, therefore, a large part of the economies of countries.
Electric trucks are one of the alternatives to reduce pollution from freight traffic. But, for the moment, sales of this type of vehicle only represent a small percentage of the total, figures that are practically residual on a global scale. In Europe, the latest data indicate that the number of heavy-duty trucks sold is tripling every year, but it barely reached 1% of the total at the beginning of 2024. The percentage rises to 5% for light and medium trucks, between 3.5 and 12 tons. In Spain, according to the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (Anfac), only 0.6% of trucks over 16 tons are electric.
Other territories, such as the United States, follow the same pattern as Europe. According to data from the Environmental Defense Fund, of 12.2 million trucks in circulation, only 13,000 are electric, that is, just over 0.1%. This figure also includes everything from tractor-trailers to higher-category vans, a segment that is better suited to the autonomy needs of battery-powered vehicles because it is dedicated to the last mile. In other words, they require less autonomy to fulfill their function.
The question is: how to gain ground in a competition in which a diesel truck can travel about ten times more distance than an electric one without refueling? With the added bonus that thermal engines cost half or less than electric ones. And even more so, knowing that margins in road transport, according to industry experts, are narrow, at most 2%. How to make an investment in an electric truck profitable?
The answer is both simple and complicated. Under current market conditions regarding trucks, fuel and electricity prices and the extent and power of the charging point network, not all road freight businesses can be electrified. Or they cannot do so at the same pace and with the same intensity.
For this reason, the brands themselves advise companies to carry out a realistic and rational electrification process. Both in cases of companies dedicated to transporting goods from logistics centers to towns, cities and other nearby industries, the so-called last mile, and in businesses dedicated to long-distance transport . Because, if it is well planned, the electrification of the transport of large tonnage goods and long distances is possible, although it requires a realistic extension of the loading points and their power, as well as the planning of the routes and delivery times.
The equation of profitability, autonomy and difficulties in recharging in the diesel-electric battle is complicated if one is able to imagine a future in which routes are calculated by the kilometers that each type of truck can travel every 24 or 48 hours, taking into account the mandatory stops that drivers must make, whether or not they can charge the batteries at these stops and, above all, if the cost of one fuel or another is included in the calculations. While the price of diesel has not stopped increasing in recent years, electricity can be produced at zero cost if the company in question has enough solar panels to recharge its fleet.
It’s basically a question of numbers, but electric trucks offer other advantages beyond an Excel spreadsheet. Yes, in their operation they reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero, but they are also silent, which contributes to less noise pollution for both the environment and the driver, as has been demonstrated in driving tests of the most recent models. Also, with regard to the person driving it, they offer other comforts, such as the absence of vibrations derived from the operation of the engine, something that is appreciated when you spend half your life in a cabin.
In an ideal future of electric trucks, routes and their respective rest stops can be planned based on the charging points on the way from point A to point B. To do this, an ambitious plan is needed to equip these points which, in addition, in the case of truck batteries, must have specific characteristics to be able to charge them in reasonable times.
With its Power to the Road plan, Germany plans to expand a network of fast-charging stations for trucks and thus make the final leap towards electrification or, at least, decisive progress towards the complete decarbonization of the freight transport sector by 2045. The German government intends to create a user-friendly fast-charging network for trucks along motorways. This will be done at the same time as the country’s electricity grid is being expanded to absorb more renewable energy. This is an example of a determined commitment to start making electrification a reality that is still in its infancy.
Write: Guillem Sanchis
