Experts reviewed when electrification will reach heavy transport: they also pay attention to other promising alternatives

As heavy transport in the European Union (EU) emits a quarter of the amount of road transport greenhouse gases, the requirements for faster decarbonisation of these vehicles are becoming stricter.

In early April, the European Parliament decided to tighten the requirements for carbon dioxide emissions for new heavy vehicles. According to them, from 2030 carbon dioxide emissions of new trucks will have to be 45 percent. lower than in 2019 From 2035 this pollution must decrease by 65 percent, and from 2040 – 90 percent

According to experts, although the transition to electric energy is mentioned among the most frequently heard solutions for both light and heavy transport, there is no shortage of technological and regulatory challenges in the market today. They also reveal when electric trucks will make up a third of the fleet, and which solutions currently on the market have the most potential for the transition to less polluting transport.

Electrification is hindered by underdeveloped technology and lack of incentives

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), in 2023 the number of registered electric heavy-duty trucks on the continent grew by 234 percent compared to 2022. to almost 5.3 thousand Their percentage increased by 0.7 percent. from 0.8 percent in 2022 up to 1.5 percent last year.

According to the data of the association, at most – 20 thousand. of electric heavy vehicles – was registered in Germany. in 2023 they accounted for 7.5 percent. market.

Meanwhile, Lithuania is moving more slowly with the electrification of trucks. Today, registered electric heavy vehicles make up only 0.02 percent, or up to ten units, of the entire fleet.

According to the director of the Transport Innovation Association (TIA), Rugilė Andziukevičiūtė-Buzė, the slow electrification of this transport category in Lithuania is determined by complex reasons. The main ones are insufficiently developed technology and limited infrastructure development. The expert identifies the lack of targeted incentive schemes as another challenge limiting the faster transition of trucks to cleaner electricity.

“Support schemes are an effective tool to encourage business enterprises to switch to more sustainable transport. Some countries, such as Germany, subsidize up to 80%. the price difference between electric trucks and those powered by an internal combustion engine. This affects the consistent growth of the market. Undoubtedly, few European countries can afford support of the above-mentioned amount, and financing is a measure that pays off more in the short term. We see unexploited opportunities in other spheres – regulation that would create incentives for business to accelerate the transition to less polluting transport, and we also miss exceptions to road tax. The latter measure is applied by many countries on the continent, including the United Kingdom, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and others,” says the TIA representative.

She adds that more advanced technology is needed to accelerate the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles. Trucks that are built to cover distances of thousands of kilometers require higher capacity batteries than currently available on the market. Larger batteries require longer charging times, increase the weight of the tractors, and therefore reduce the maximum permissible load weight.

“Despite the fact that the technology itself is still in the development phase, it is moving forward rapidly. For this reason, there is no doubt that we will see more and more electric tractors on European roads. Car manufacturers predict that we will reach a certain tipping point in the market in the coming years – by 2030. newly sold electric heavy-duty tractors should make up to 50%”, – shares R. Andziukevičiūtė-Buzė.

Not only electricity is among the effective solutions for the transport sector

Electricity is not the only solution for a less polluting future of transport. Especially when technology limitations, large financial investments and decisions on incentive mechanisms are still in the discussion stage for the faster electric truck to gain a foothold in the market.

Experts draw attention to other types of alternative fuels, which are currently not used enough in Lithuania, although they contribute to lower amounts of carbon dioxide emitted by the transport sector.

Julija Matisonė, manager of Neste Lietuva, which sells “Neste MY Renewable Diesel” diesel produced from renewable raw materials in Lithuania, says that the use of alternative fuels allows not only to reduce the pollution generated by transport, but also the dependence of the sector on fossil fuels.

“Emissions of heavy-duty vehicles are higher than those of passenger cars, so the issue of reducing pollution is extremely relevant for companies with vehicles of this category. Especially since the pressure from the responsible authorities to reduce the impact on the environment will only increase over time. The advantage of “Neste MY Renewable Diesel” in the market is not only lower emissions compared to traditional diesel, but also the application that does not require additional investments – this fuel can be used to fill the fuel tanks of all diesel-powered vehicles or mixed with conventional diesel. In addition, the price of Neste MY Renewable Diesel has been decreasing since this year, which today is little different from traditional diesel,” says the CEO of Neste Lietuva.

TIA’s director seconded – all solutions that contribute to lower emissions are important, so it would be inappropriate to stop at electricity alone.

“Road transport is responsible for around a fifth of the EU’s carbon dioxide emissions, so it is clear that one type of alternative fuel will not be able to solve a problem of this magnitude. We see biomethane as another easily accessible and less polluting alternative for heavy transport, but for its wider application, it is necessary to solve the issue of expanding the network of refueling stations and also create incentives for consumption. In our opinion, only by integrating all less polluting solutions currently offered on the market can we achieve significant changes,” says R. Andziukevičiūtė-Buzė.