Change Inc · Duurzaamheid

E-trucks more attractive than diesel with affordable electricity

Electric trucks are gaining ground in the Netherlands, partly due to driver preference, lower operational costs, and government incentives. The Netherlands is leading Europe in the adoption of electric commercial vehicles, both light and heavy.

Drivers find electric trucks more pleasant due to quick acceleration, fewer vibrations, and quiet operation, leading to less fatigue. Logistics service provider Simon Loos has the largest electric truck fleet in the Netherlands and sees that customers and finance departments are embracing the technology.

The Tesla Semi is anticipated, but European manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and Volvo already offer electric trucks with a range of approximately 600 kilometers, comparable to the Semi's expected specifications, which is also not yet suitable for the European market.

The Netherlands is a frontrunner in Europe with electric delivery vans and light trucks (80% market share), and also leads in the heaviest class (>15 tons), although the market share there is lower at 10%. In 2025, this share was less than 3%.

Zero-emission zones in cities and good charging infrastructure are stimulating the rise of e-trucks. Government support, such as the AanZET subsidy for heavy trucks (up to over €115.000), is crucial, similar to the situation for electric passenger cars in 2015. The new truck toll, which favors cleaner vehicles, also contributes to their attractiveness.

The total cost of ownership (TCO) of e-trucks is becoming increasingly favorable, especially due to high diesel prices and the truck toll. With a lifespan of 8 years and 1 million kilometers, and access to cheap electricity, the tipping point is quickly reached.

The large batteries of e-trucks require their own charging stations, preferably with solar panels. Customers with their own distribution centers can often charge well, but grid congestion is a growing problem for companies unable to get a connection to the grid.

Professor Maarten Steinbuch sees grid congestion as a temporary problem that can be solved with creative power supply, such as solar panels and batteries. He considers electric vehicles as energy buffers that can support the energy transition through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

Long-distance transport remains a challenge due to the still limited rollout of a fine-meshed super-fast charging network. Hydrogen is considered less efficient by experts for heavy transport due to the complexity and energy losses in production and transport.

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