E-truck charging infrastructure

The deployment of an effective and comprehensive charging infrastructure network for battery electric trucks is key to enable the transition to zero-emission trucks

T&E roadmap

Roadmap

T&E has set out a roadmap for e-truck charging which outlines the new and ambitious policy strategy that Europe needs to electrify heavy-duty vehicles and decarbonise the freight sector to bring it in line with the EU’s Green Deal commitments. 

The new European infrastructure law and public funding mechanisms for infrastructure should prioritise zero-emission technologies, while setting appropriate binding targets for the deployment of zero-emission truck infrastructure.

Three types of charging needs

The specific recharging needs of electric trucks are classified in three categories: depot charging, destination charging (typically at distribution centers), and public charging (along the highways or at charging hubs in urban areas). T&E shows that policymakers should address – as of today – all three charging use cases.

Electric trucks already on the market today have a range of up to 300 km. Already today with the right recharging infrastructure for urban and regional electric truck deliveries, half of the distance driven by trucks in the EU could be covered (i.e. nine trips out of ten). It is expected that the range of the electric trucks available will swiftly increase to 500 km in the first half of the 2020s, then covering about two thirds of kilometers driven and 19 trips out of 20. At this stage a high level of deployment of public charging for electric trucks will be necessary, notably at the urban nodes and along the main highways.