The transition to electric cargo cars: will we see a fundamental transformation of the sector? | Business

Efficient charging infrastructure is an important development factor

The car manufacturer DAF announces that in 2018 was the first to produce an all-electric truck (model CF), which is still used for various tasks. Since then, the range of electric trucks has expanded significantly, and they are produced by various truck manufacturers.

With smart trip planning, a modern electric truck can travel up to 1,000 km per day. So, the distance traveled by electric trucks is no longer a problem – according to statistical data, even 97 percent. trucks do not travel more than 800 km per day.

Mercedes-Benz Truck has already announced that the eActros 600 electric truck, which will be able to travel about 500 km on a single charge, will soon reach serial production. And that this is true was proven by two prototypes of this model, covering 13,000 km on the roads of 23 European countries, towing a 40-ton trailer. Such tests aim to show the whole world that an electric truck can be a reliable transport for working throughout Europe.

And if such a truck covers 800 km per day, its battery will only need to be charged once. A large 400 kW charger charges the battery of this truck from 20 to 80 percent. can charge in 30 minutes, it is currently being standardized in Europe. If charging with a CCS standard charger, the same process would take about 60 minutes.

By the way, the most powerful electric car charging station in the Baltic States, even 400 kW, is installed in Lithuania. About a year ago, “Ignitis ON” installed one in Vilnius, one of the busiest traffic arteries near the Gariūnai market place, near the fast food restaurant “Hesburger”.

But the significant changes that have taken place in terms of battery capacity and range of electric vehicles are not enough – to make electric heavy-duty commercial vehicles more attractive, a dedicated charging infrastructure must be developed.

Shutterstock photo/Electric truck

It is probably being developed most intensively in Europe in Germany, where the rapid charging network for electric trucks has begun to be expanded on its highways, thus contributing to a more climate-friendly use of transport. This should come as no surprise, as around half of the electric trucks on European roads are registered in Germany. It is planned to install 350 quick charging points for trucks along the country’s highways.

The British government invests 225 million euros to the “Zero Pollution Trucks and Infrastructure Program”, to test zero-emission trucks for real. Under this program, 370 charging points for trucks will be installed. An efficient truck charging infrastructure is crucial to the development of climate-friendly logistics.

The municipalities of various European cities have announced that, in order to improve air quality, only zero-emission vehicles will be allowed to enter city centers in the coming years. This means that in the future we will only see electric transport in city centers. Zero-emission (or “green”) zones, where only electric freight transport will be allowed, are already being implemented in London and Madrid.

Shutterstock photo/Electric truck

The market for electric cargo vehicles is rapidly maturing

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), sales of electric trucks worldwide will increase by 35 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. and a total of 54,000 electric trucks were sold last year. 70 percent they were sold in China. Sales of electric trucks in Europe in 2023 has almost tripled (compared to 2022) and last year more than 10,000 electric trucks were sold on the old continent, representing just over 1.5 percent. from all trucks sold. Germany accounts for about half of them.

Although the world leader in electric truck production is China, European manufacturers, producing about 120 electric truck models, have distributed their models most evenly among various market segments, so European manufacturers have a large share of the electric truck market not only in Europe, but also in North America, and also produce many niche vehicles, such as garbage trucks, which, like medium-sized trucks, are already cost-competitive with their internal combustion engine counterparts.

Shutterstock photo/Electric trucks

The growing range of models is a key indicator that the market for electric cargo and special purpose vehicles is maturing. BloombergNEF predicts that by 2030 for large electric trucks, the total cost of ownership, including vehicle acquisition and operating costs, will decrease by up to 57 percent.

Sales of electric trucks will also increase due to the strict policy of reducing CO2 emissions, for example, in the European Union, it is aimed at 2040. aiming for 90 percent reduce CO2 emissions. In addition, there has been an increase in global initiatives such as EV100, which commits companies to 2030. to replace all their cars and trucks up to 3.5 t with appropriate electric cars, and also 50 percent. from 3.5 to 7 t trucks replaced with electric vehicles and charging infrastructure for employees and customers installed.

The parcel company has 72 electric cars in its fleet

Much faster transformations are taking place not in the heavy goods transport sector, but where small trucks are used. BloombergNEF notes that the efficiency of electric vehicles is higher when driving with frequent breaks, such as delivery company transport, store service cars, which have to stop and start again frequently. Frequent stops and starts significantly increase the energy consumption of cars, but the fuel consumption of internal combustion engine cars increases more than the energy consumption of electric vehicles, so the use of electric cars in these conditions is more economical than driving long distances.

Photo by Eitvydas Kinaitis/DPD Lithuania purchased 12 electric cars

in 2024 August 1 there were 482 light cargo electric vehicles (N1 category) in the register, of which 476 were pure electric vehicles and 6 were externally charged hybrids. This balance is quite different from the passenger car sector, where there are twice as many plug-in hybrids as pure electric cars. However, in the fleet of light cargo vehicles (category N1) in 2024 August 1 electric cars accounted for 0.61 percent. Diesel vehicles rank 95.86 in this category percent park.

Still, there are companies that are trying to make the largest part of the fleet electric cars, for example, the parcel delivery company “DPD Lietuva”, which purchased the first electric cars as early as 2021, and this year continued the expansion of the car fleet – 12 new electric cars were added to the car fleet, which hit the streets rolled out in May. Previously, parcels were delivered by electric minibuses only in Vilnius, and from this year – in Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys.

For new electric cars, together with the installation of charging stations, the company will allocate more than 750 thousand. euros.

“Last year alone, we traveled more than 220,000 km with electric cars. km and delivered over 1.5 million shipments in Vilnius. The purchase of new electric cars will mean that more than half of the car fleet in the capital will be electric cars, and this year other Lithuanian cities will also be filled with them – we already have 72 electric cars in the company’s car park. Such a step proves that we are persistently pursuing the set long-term goal of decarbonization of transport – by 2035. to electrify the company’s entire fleet of minibuses,” says DPD Lietuva’s Sustainability Manager Markas Ĺžuolas.

Photo by Eitvydas Kinaitis/DPD Lithuania purchased 12 electric cars

According to M. Ėuolo, during the two years of operation of electric cars, the amount of CO2 emissions decreased by over 500 tons, and with new electric cars, CO2 emissions will be reduced even more – it is estimated that an average of 330 tons less pollutants will be emitted into the environment per year than in previous years.

An important accelerator of electromobility is state financial support

It is predicted that due to the development of technology, electric trucks may be more competitive than the same vehicles with internal combustion engines already next year. The price of electric trucks is falling due to the falling cost of batteries, while the cost of trucks with internal combustion engines is being driven up by increasingly strict emission standards. This trend is also observed in the passenger car market.

However, it is recognized that in order to increase the interest of carriers in electric trucks, the support of the states is needed. It will be very important in increasing investments in e-commerce. trucks, as in subsidizing the purchase of electric passenger cars. It is also necessary for the development of charging infrastructure.

In European countries, where the number of electric trucks has increased significantly in the last two years, at least two support measures have been introduced: subsidies for the purchase of a vehicle, tax breaks, subsidies for investments in charging stations. It is not only the trucks that are important, but also the entire ecosystem that would ensure the viability of electric car fleets.

That subsidies accelerate the development of the segment of electric cargo vehicles is well demonstrated, for example, by the results of Scandinavian countries.

While electric cars are a significant step towards cleaner transport, to make the future of transport as sustainable as possible governments should prioritize a multi-pronged approach. This means that reliable public transport systems and cycling infrastructure will need to be developed as alternative modes of transport for shorter journeys that boast a lower environmental impact. The widespread transition to electric vehicles is no longer a question of “if” but “when.”