In-depth analysis of the electric truck: present and future of this sustainable transportation

Electric trucks will contribute to the decarbonization of heavy transportation, although they still face significant challenges

Transportation accounts for 15% of carbon dioxide emissions globally, so the industry has long been committed to reducing that number and becoming more sustainable. But it's not just about manufacturing electric cars or motorcycles, but also about expanding horizons and setting goals regarding heavy transportation.

One example of this is electric trucks. According to Anfac data from 2023, 313 industrial vehicles (light- and heavy-duty vehicles) were registered in Spain. “The electrification rate for smaller vehicles that are more oriented toward urban distribution is 3.7% compared to 0.6% for trucks over 16 tons,” the manufacturers' association points out. On the other hand, in the European market, Aedive (the Business Association for the Development and Promotion of Electric Mobility) explains that “although the growth of these vehicles doubles each year in terms of registrations in the EU – in 2023 they reached 10,000 – they still represent less than 1% of total sales.” 

Globally, in 2023, approximately 54,000 electric trucks were sold, representing an increase of 35% compared to 2022. This is the first year that the sale of electric trucks surpasses that of buses. Once again, China tops this ranking, accounting for 70% of sales, according to the latest report from the International Energy Agency. 

Electric trucks work very similarly to any other electric vehicle, although they have two extra challenges: heavy cargo transport and long haul trips. Within the sector, Tesla seems to be leading the rest of its competitors. Its Semi model, with a range of 800 kilometers and a load of up to 37 tons, is capable of traveling 1,735 kilometers in 24 hours and over 2,500 kilometers in 48 hours, according to the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE). Other rivals, especially Volvo and Renault, are fighting to take the top spot through more affordable models.

Renault Trucks, another leading company in the sector, is also positioning itself in the market. It started the first European tour with a 44-ton, 100% electric truck at the end of April and it plans to cover over 10,000 kilometers through seven countries. In addition to presenting the new truck in more than 60 locations, its objective is to demonstrate that sustainable mobility in heavy-duty transportation is a reality, as it travels along major communication routes. In Spain, it will use ultra-fast electric charging locations at Cepsa Service Stations to complete its route.

Advantages of electric trucks

Let’s review the main benefits of adopting electric trucks in the transportation sector.

1. Decarbonization. It is an obvious advantage: an electric truck leaves no environmental footprint, as it generates no emissions during its use. 
2. Last Mile. So-called last mile logistics, due to the nature of its operations, would also be one of the main beneficiaries of this technology. On short routes or within the same city, limited autonomy would never be an issue. In addition, this type of use would protect the areas most affected by emissions: city centers.
3. Toll exemption and entry in restricted areas. There are an increasing number of cities and regions around the world that exempt electric vehicles from paying tolls to promote sustainable mobility. In fact, the European Union is already working to exempt electric trucks from paying tolls.

Challenges for electric trucks

Electric trucks are emerging as an alternative for sustainable transportation, but they face some challenges:

1. Range. In general, nobody can deny that an electric truck has a smaller range than a traditional one. The capacity will always depend on each vehicle and its use, but it is usually between 200 and 500 kilometers. Having larger and more powerful batteries is not a problem, but it would increase the truck's weight. The sector is already working on developing batteries with a longer range that do not involve a considerable increase in weight.
2. Cost reduction. Buying an electric truck is not the most affordable option on the market. However, as their use expands, prices will come down due to economies of scale. 
3. Charging requirements. There are more and more electric charging stations all over the world, but an electric truck will always need much higher charging power than a car or a motorcycle. Generally, these trucks require about 1.2 MW of power to be able to charge their battery in 30-45 minutes during their journey, while if they are charged when the trip is over, they only require between 150 and 400 kW. According to Gill Pratt, scientific advisor for Toyota and CEO of the Toyota Research Institute, “to compete with diesel, a typical large European truck needs around one megawatt-hour of propulsive energy storage. This is ten times what a light-duty electric vehicle requires.” 

“Electric trucks are starting to be used for short and medium routes,” states Marcos Basante, president of the General Assembly of the International Road Transport Association (ASTIC), “but their greater weight (three tons more than a current diesel truck), lower range, and the lack of coverage provided by charging points make their implementation for international transportation in the short term seem unfeasible.” 

In his opinion, therefore, “it is crucial that governments, both at the European and Spanish level, do not discriminate against any clean energy source, but rather incentivize its accelerated use, allowing companies to freely choose which green alternative to use to power their vehicles, according to their specific needs and routes.” 

Therefore, in sectors where electrification is not as simple, such as heavy-duty transportation, the sustainable alternatives highlighted by Basante include bioethanol and biobutanol. These second-generation biofuels are made from organic waste that does not compete with food (second-generation) and are capable of reducing net CO2 emissions by up to 90% throughout their life cycle compared to traditional fuels. They also have an important advantage: it is not necessary to change out current engines for their use. There are also other alternatives under development, such as gaseous hydrogen, which already has new manufacturers ready to start production of heavy-duty transportation vehicles.