The debate surrounding the Total Cost of Ownership of electric trucks typically revolves around one question: when will electric driving be as cost-effective as diesel? But that’s not the real contest. The actual competitive battle is about energy parity: who drives on cheap, reliable electricity and who doesn’t. That’s where a divide is emerging that could split the sector. Electric trucks are far more than a simple financial equation.
Large transport companies have scale and capital. They build charging hubs, add battery storage, manage energy peaks smartly, and negotiate directly with energy suppliers. They generate their own electricity and pay no energy tax. Their price per kilowatt-hour can be up to 30 percent lower. For heavy-duty vehicles, that easily translates into a 15- to 25-cent-per-kilometre advantage.
Small carriers, meanwhile, are at risk of paying top price. They face tens of thousands of euros in charging infrastructure costs, complex permitting, annual maintenance, and rising grid fees. For them, energy increasingly becomes a structural competitive disadvantage. The energy transition is turning into an equity issue. Zero-emission zones accelerate this: those who can invest will — and those who can’t simply become too expensive and lose customers.
Meanwhile, Europe’s electricity demand continues to rise. In ten years, road transport alone is expected to consume 4 percent of Europe’s total electricity. Combined with the massive needs of buildings and industry, it explains the grim signals from regions like North Holland: thousands of companies waiting for grid capacity, ten-year delays for upgrades, and stalled sustainability projects.
But the light doesn’t have to stay red. At a Logistiek020 meeting, entrepreneurs shared how they moved forward, including sharing power with neighboring businesses, charging at night, and adding battery storage. NewCold even opened a fully autonomous cold store with no grid connection at all. It can be surprisingly simple if you organise it together.
CE Delft’s work for the National Charging Infrastructure Agenda demonstrates that there are numerous proven solutions already available: collective charging hubs, stationary batteries, smart meters, and non-firm grid connections. Operators like Arriva and the Brabant Waste Team share power at night and drive during the day. Grid congestion isn’t always a barrier; sometimes it’s a planning challenge.
Energy is not a technical footnote but a strategic pillar of electrification. Transport companies spending 20 to 30 percent of their turnover on energy need someone who thinks about charging, generating, sharing, saving, and innovative procurement; a Chief Energy Officer.
The energy transition isn’t coming tomorrow; it’s already here. The companies that start calculating, collaborating, and building collective solutions today will shape the new competitive landscape in logistics. Because electric trucking isn’t about cost — it’s about direction. And those who choose that direction don’t just win customers; they win the future of sustainable transport.
Walther Ploos van Amstel.