The average electric truck in the European Union is 25% cheaper over its lifetime than diesel oil equivalent despite much higher upfront costs for zero-emissions models, advocacy group Europe for Environment (T&E) said on Wednesday.
According to a survey of 745 EU trucking business conducted by Dataforce for T&E, 84% of respondents would consider buying an electric vehicle – 36% already own a commercial electric van, 32% plan to buy one by 2022 and 16% will consider buying one in the next many years.
T&E says lower operating costs and growing interest in electricity will drive a stronger CO2 case emissions decrease on diesel engine truck compared to the level currently recommended by the European Commission.
In a study that included six countries, France, Germany, ItalyPoland, Spain and the United Kingdom, which account for 76% of the van market in the European Union and the United Kingdom, T&E found an electric van to cost 0.15 euros ($0.17) per vehicle. km (0.6 miles), compared to 0.2 euros for a diesel van. .
Excluding government subsidies, T&E found them to be still cheaper in the five countries while in Germany the operating costs were the same.
T&E says electric vans are 40% to 55% more expensive to buy than diesel cars.
That additional upfront cost is often a barrier for companies to switch to zero-emissions models, even though “total cost of ownership“of an electric truck, including the cost of fuel, has been decreasing for years.
Only 3% of trucks sold in the EU in 2021 will be all-electric, compared with 9% for passenger cars, which face stricter CO2 emissions. emission standards.
The European Commission has proposed all new zero-emission lorries by 2035. But T&E says its research shows the European Parliament and EU member states need to “put in place CO2 emissions targets” stronger to accelerate the use of e-trucks in the 2020s and early 2030s”.
