Electric trucks are slowly gaining traction across various sectors. In the mid-sized energy trade, however, they are still the exception.
Large haulage companies have already begun to electrify their truck fleets step by step. The currently high fuel prices could provide an additional incentive for fleet operators to consider switching. Although diesel prices fell by saround 12 percent in May compared to their peak in April of this year, according to the ADAC, the national average is still nearly 30 cents above the level at the beginning of the year..
In addition, substantial subsidies are still available for the purchase of electric trucks – covering up to 80 percent of the additional cost of a battery-powered truck compared to a conventional diesel. Following renewed approval by the European Commission, the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) was able to extend the directive on the promotion of commercial vehicles with alternative, climate-friendly driving systems and the associated refueling and charging infrastructure (KsNI Directive) through the end of 2026, as reported by NOW, the National Organization for Mobility Transition. What comes after that is not yet known. Electric trucks are also exempt from road tolls, and the charging infrastructure is expanding, although many (potential) users would say nowhere near fast enough.
Even a tanker delivering heating oil or diesel to customers could, in principle, run on an electric drivetrain today, provided the relevant hazardous goods regulations are amended accordingly.
So, the option is there. But what is the situation in practice in the mid-sized energy distributors sector?
As for now, electric trucks remain the exceptionThere are a small number of battery-powered vehicles are known to be used for the delivery of wood pellets, and a handful of electric aircraft refueling tankers have begun appearing at airports.
Why, then, haven’t conventional distribution vehicles, the kind that deliver heating oil to residential customers, adopted electric drive systems?
There appear to be several practical reasons. Despite subsidies, acquisition costs for an electric truck are still higher than those of conventional diesel vehicles, and there’s lingering uncertainty about what used electric commercial vehicles will actually be worth down the line.
Furthermore, we must not overlook the broader situation energy traders are facing right now. Cost pressure is mounting across the board. Route planning could get more complicated with electric trucks . And with the sharp rise in oil prices, customers are holding back back on orders, leading to an extreme slump in heating oil demand. Under such market conditions, competition is particularly fierce and margins shrink.
In this situation, many mid-sized fuel distributors are carefully assessing whether they can or should invest in a new vehicle that costs significantly more than the one it’s replacing.
And there’s one more thing worth considering: if you keep running your existing diesel truck on renewable fuels like HVO, you can still achieve meaningful reductions in CO₂ emissions without the capital outlay of new technology. Even if this option doesn’t receive the political recognition it deserves. In fact, it’s a genuinely open question which drivetrain actually delivers the better overall carbon footprint: one that runs on renewable fuels, or a battery-electric truck drawing power from a grid that still generates close to half its electricity from fossil fuels.