In six of Europe's top nine markets, electric trucks are already the financially best choice for road haulage compared to diesel vehicles. This is supported by an analysis by Transport & Environment (T&E) which was published today and which is based on the calculation of the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a tractor long-haul road traffic in nine European countries. The six main European markets where electric vehicles are already the best financially choice are Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, France and Belgium. These six markets are worth together 46% of new heavy-duty vehicles sold in the EU European Championship. Poland, Spain and Italy remain below parity, with Poland however close to a draw.

The study compares European diesel, European electric and Chinese electric vehicles, purchased in 2026 and used for five years. The model considers a route of 116 thousand kilometers a year and a discount rate of 9.5%. With an electric European truck The savings over five years are about 100 thousand euros in Netherlands, 85 thousand euros in Germany and 69 thousand in Denmark. In markets the investment pays for itself in about two years (three in Denmark). With a Chinese vehicle, which costs much less, the advantage rises to about 128 thousand euros. Vice versa with a truck European electric the cost exceeds that of diesel by about 16 thousand euros in Poland, 47 thousand in Spain and 94 thousand in Italy.

Presenting the study, T&E pointed out that, taking into account of today's very high diesel prices, the savings in the Netherlands and Germany could rise to about 123 thousand and 106 thousand euros.

According to T&E, the P&L of an electric truck It depends on three factors: vehicle price, road tolls and costs of energy. For an electric European truck, the purchase weighs heavily average 40% of TCO and up to 49% in some markets. For diesel weighs only 21%, given that manufacturers still price the two or three times as much as diesel. In the model on which the Study A European electric tractor costs 265 thousand euros against 120 thousand for diesel, while Chinese electric starts at 210 thousand euro. For this reason, the most important lever, according to the analysis of T&E, is the reduction of prices, with the push that comes EU CO2 targets for trucks, which oblige manufacturers to to produce more electricity and thus to obtain savings of scale.

On the impact of road tolls on the income statement of Electric vehicles, the study recalls that the European directive Eurovignette requires Member States to differentiate tolls according to emissions. There are two roads, and they can be combined: one 50-75% discount on the infrastructure fee for high-speed zero emissions, with total exemption allowed until June 2031; an additional CO2 charge of €100 to €200 per tonne. The effect is remarkable because these trucks travel many kilometers. The study notes that in Germany, which exempts electricity until June 2031 and applies a charge of 200 euros per tonne on diesel, the savings from tolls in the five years is about 116 thousand euros. Belgium (Flanders) follows with about 59,400 euros, Holland with about 54,500 and Denmark with about 38 thousand. In Sweden the system is at a fixed rate over time and the stimulus is minimal, and the country will have to move to the by 2032. The framework of applications is unequal. Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Flanders have adopted the system. France, Italy and Spain, with motorway networks in concession, must apply it only to the renewal of contracts. The Poland has not yet transposed the directive and risks a of infringement.

Regarding the impact of the cost of energy on the bill economic impact of electric trucks, the analysis finds that energy weighs on average 25% of the TCO of an electric truck and 36% of a diesel. The price of electricity for recharging in the garage varies greatly, from about 0.10 euros/kWh in Sweden to about 0.23 in Sweden. Germany. Almost 40% of the bill is decided by regulations national taxes, taxes and network costs in Germany weigh up to 51%, in the Netherlands 48%. Sweden and Denmark are competitive thanks to almost zero taxes and charges on industrial charging. Then there is the European RED III directive on renewables, according to which States can have credit generated and sold by the operators of the remittances, which thus obtain additional revenue. So far, only Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium have extended it to private charging. In Holland the benefit over five years reaches about 47,700 euros, in Germany at about 29,900, in Belgium at about 9,500.

Italy is the worst ranked country among the nine. The report explains that the The Italian motorway network is largely under concession and does not apply any differentiation for CO2, there is no market for RED III credits and lack of incentive schemes predictable for trucks and loaders in the sheds. The result is An extra cost of about 94 thousand euros in five years for electric European Union. By 2030, the picture should change. With only the EU CO2 targets and an incentive of 20% of the initial cost, electric in Italy would arrive just above the parity (about 3,500 euros of savings). Adding exemption 75% from tolls (about 38 thousand euros) and RED III credits of 0.05 euro/kWh (about 19 thousand euros), the savings would rise to about 60 thousand euros, with repayment in two years.

The document also recalls that in 2030 manufacturers will have to meet the 43% emissions reduction target, i.e. a share of electric vehicles of 23-31% of new sales. In the model This lowers the prices of e-trucks by about 12% compared to the 2026, while ETS2, the new European emissions trading system extending the EU ETS principle to sectors that have so far largely excluded from the European carbon market, including the road transport, which will come into force from 2028, will make it possible to diesel is 22% more expensive over five years.

The study shows that, in the latter scenario, even reducing or by eliminating purchase incentives, electric vehicles are more in all the markets analyzed. In the Netherlands, savings will be about 105 thousand euros in five years, in Germany of about 111 thousand and in Denmark about 77 thousand. Where electric today is behind, national measures will be needed. In France, the savings would drop to about 10 thousand euros without subsidies, but could reach about 100 thousand with differentiated tolls and RED credits III. Also in Belgium, Poland and Spain these levers would multiply the advantage.

T&E's analysis also focuses on truck manufacturers and the impact of Chinese and American competition, noting that while European manufacturers have so far dominated the market, however, Chinese and US electric vehicles arrive with much lower prices. In Germany they are worth about 34 thousand extra euros of savings in five years. For T&E it is A wake-up call is the European Association, which is specialized in transport and mobility policies calls on European producers to scale up productive to remain a leader.

To promote the introduction of electric trucks, T&E calls on Brussels and European governments not to weaken the CO2 targets for heavy-duty vehicles, in particular -43% at the 2030, to extend CO2-related tolls where they are lacking (Italy, France, Spain, Poland), with total exemption until 2031, of implement ETS2 in 2028 by allocating part of the revenues road transport, especially SMEs, and to introduce targets zero-emission transport constraints for large shippers. In addition, it calls for support for charging and speeding up connections network and not to reintroduce fuel refunds that according to Stef Cornelis, one of the authors who contributed to the study, would prolong dependence on diesel.