Limits to battery range and fast charging infrastructure have previously made the electrification of long-haul trucking difficult. However, technological improvements have made this not just a possibility but the best option for decarbonising long-haul trucking. As charging remains one of the biggest challenges, T&E's study assesses the charging infrastructure needed for long-haul trucking to become carbon neutral.
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Trips over 400km make up around 5% of all trips in Europe but represent 40% of the EU’s total truck activity (in tonne-km). They account for an estimated 20% of truck emissions. Most urban and regional deliveries can already be covered by electric trucks today and ong-haul electric trucks are only a few years behind. Battery electric trucks with ranges beyond 400 km will come to the market within the next couple of years and are likely to represent the most cost-competitive option.
Findings
The revision of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive (AFID), planned for June 2021, should finally cover electric trucks and recognise direct electrification as the dominant pathway to decarbonise. Overall the revised AFID should aim at a total of around 10,000 public and destination chargers in 2025 (EU27) increasing to 40,000-50,000 public and destination chargers in 2030. To ensure these targets are effectively reached, the EU should set minimum binding targets for each member state.
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