Study: Unlocking the Potential of Electric Freight Transport in Europe

The electrification of long-haul freight is a pivotal step towards a sustainable future, and the implementation of high-capacity, megawatt charging facilities along key European highways is at the heart of this transition.

The Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)'s latest study dives deep into the economic landscape of deploying such infrastructure, offering crucial insights for policymakers, infrastructure planners, and operators.

As Europe gears up to meet the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation's 2025 mandate for establishing megawatt charging sites, understanding the financial nuances becomes imperative. RAP's analysis sheds light on significant cost variations across the EU, highlighting the economic and regulatory hurdles that could slow the advancement of electric truck adaption.

Key Findings:

• Price disparities: The study reveals stark price differences in megawatt charging across Europe, sometimes between neighboring countries. Such disparities can lead to 'charging tourism,' where fleet operators prefer charging in states with lower costs, potentially straining certain power grids while underutilizing others.
• Network costs: A major component of charging expenses, network costs vary widely within and between EU member states, influencing the attractiveness of charging locations. For instance, charging an electric truck in Poland is significantly cheaper than in Germany. The cost difference works out to about 2.6 euro cents/kWh, which adds up to 13 Euros for a 500-kWh battery load.
• Policy recommendations: To counteract the negative effects of charging tourism and ensure a balanced development of charging infrastructure, RAP suggests aligning network prices with actual costs through volumetric time-of-use pricing and coordinating taxes and levies for truck charging among member states.

Download the full report for free here .