Together towards a zero-emission future

27 March 2023

The further reduction of CO2 emissions is becoming inevitable for everyone, and our sector will play a major role in achieving this. The government wants trucks to be emission-free by 2030. All vehicles should be electric or run on hydrogen by then. An ambitious target. Many hauliers are open to switching, but how feasible is this? And what does this mean for your future transportation planning?

The advent of e-trucks

Electric buses and a number of smaller e-trucks are already operating in the Netherlands. Volvo Trucks is the first manufacturer to commit to developing an electrical solution in the heavy-duty segment. Volvo has always been progressive in this field, which is why they are the guiding light for many companies.

At Volvo safety always comes first. They consider multiple possible scenarios in their trucks. For instance, all trucks are fitted with cooling water, and they want to add a sound so that vehicles can be heard approaching. This should increase road safety.

However, there is still a grey area around E-trucks. For example, a higher purchase value than diesel trucks needs to be factored in. E-trucks are also heavier than current trucks. By contrast, companies can apply for a subsidy through the government’s Zero-Emission Trucks Purchase Subsidy Scheme: AanZET.

Following the flow

The e-trucks come with 6 battery packs, with a total battery capacity of 540 kWh. Electric trucks with a full battery can drive about 300/350 km. At the moment, of course, this is far from where we want to be, but there will be further developments in the years ahead.

Trucks have to be charged at night in order to ensure that they are sufficiently charged the following morning. If this still needs to be done during the day, it will obviously cost planning a lot of extra time. In addition, electricity is cheaper at night. Fully charging the battery takes 5 to 10 hours with a standard charger. This is much faster with a fast charger, with the battery already full in about 2 hours.

Future of charging

As with electric cars, it is also possible to have a charging plaza installed for trucks. A charging plaza  is a plaza with several charging points for your e-trucks. All charging points are connected to one mains connection.

Currently, not enough energy is available for this in the Netherlands, which limits the possibility of charging several trucks at the same time. However, the government and transport sector expect this to change in the next few years.

As evidenced by the recent webinar by Nieuwsblad Transport, the younger generation sees electric vehicle developments as something positive. However, the safety region still sees a number of bumps on the road.  For example, they don’t recommend loading trucks at night without supervision. In addition, charging points should be placed about 10 metres away from the building. This is because of possible fire hazards.

In the future, we will look at what restrictions apply to e-trucks. At the moment, we already know that a solution will have to be found for the transport of hazardous substances, due to the combination with the battery.

E-trucks in a nutshell

Because of the limited experience with electric trucks, the advantages and disadvantages cannot be fully mapped out at this stage. However, we can give you the 3 most important reasons to switch to e-trucks:

1. Permitted in environmental zones

Many municipalities in the Netherlands are introducing zero emission zones by 2025. Only zero-emission vehicles will be allowed in these zones. Which means there’s no getting away from switching to e-trucks in these municipalities.

2. Less CO2 emissions

It is essential to reduce your company’s CO2 emissions. According to the climate agreement, 49% of CO2 emissions must be reduced by 2030. Electric trucks have no CO2 emissions and will thus ensure better air quality. In addition, the production process of an e-truck is much less taxing than that of a diesel variant.

3. Less noise pollution.

E-trucks are quieter than diesel and petrol trucks. You often don’t hear them coming, which makes for less noise pollution. This has a positive impact on biodiversity and our living environment. Because the trucks are quieter, deliveries can be made outside window times without causing any nuisance.