Electric Trucks Beat Diesel on Running Costs Across Nearly Half of EU Truck Sales, Study Finds

A fresh analysis from Transport & Environment concludes that battery-electric heavy trucks now run cheaper than their diesel counterparts in six of nine major European markets. Those six countries together represent roughly 46% of all new heavy trucks registered in the EU, giving the finding real weight for fleet operators weighing a switch.

The scale of the advantage varies by market. In the Netherlands, operators can expect savings of up to €100,000 over five years, while German fleets could see around €85,000. In both cases, the electric truck pays back its higher sticker price within roughly two years. Should diesel prices stay elevated, those figures climb further — to €123,000 in the Netherlands and €106,000 in Germany.

European manufacturers have long held sway over the continent’s truck market, but cheaper electric models from Chinese and American brands are now entering with far lower purchase prices. T&E calculates that in Germany alone this price gap would add €34,000 to five-year savings. For an industry built on thin margins, the group frames this as a warning that European truckmakers need to ramp up electric production quickly or risk losing their lead.

Looking ahead, T&E’s modelling suggests that by 2030 electric trucks could be the cheaper option in all nine countries studied — even if purchase subsidies are reduced or phased out. Achieving that, the group argues, depends on a mix of existing policies plus measures such as toll exemptions for zero-emission trucks. Stef Cornelis, who leads freight and fleets at T&E, said truckers are bearing the brunt of the diesel crisis and should not be met with delays to EU electrification targets, adding that reintroducing fuel rebates would only deepen the sector’s reliance on expensive diesel. The analysis coincides with the release of a new online comparison tool covering the same EU markets and the UK.