Perusing the floor of the 67th IAA commercial vehicle fair, held in Hanover, Germany, in September, it was clear that the electric truck (ET) is not just a passing fancy.

Yes, the so-called electric revolution may not happen in the next year, and not yet for long-distance, heavy-duty deliveries, but judging by the number of electric models that were parked on the stands of 95% of the many truck brands present at the German show, it will not be long before the current tentative first steps evolve into larger-scale commercial sales, especially in sectors such as short-trip urban logistics and refuse removal.

As global emission standards continue their ever-tightening spiral, the diesel truck is no longer viewed as the perfect solution to every load-carrying scenario.

ETs are starting to deliver interesting, new answers to some of the trucking industry’s biggest questions, such as fuel and maintenance costs, and uptime. ETs have, after all, less moving parts than a conventional truck and charging costs are still lower than the price of filling the tank.

Continued refinements and testing of the current wave of first-generation models (and, in some cases, second-generation models) will, over time, improve the range of these vehicles, while also lowering the cost of these rather pricey trucks, rendering them more competitive and, perhaps, allowing them to also gain a foothold in South Africa.

36 Models
German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) president Bernhard Mattes says 2018’s IAA has shown that electric mobility in commercial vehicles is “going into series production”.

“We had not only 36 electric models for test drives, which proved very popular, but also numerous world premiers of e-vans and e-buses.

“It was especially noteworthy that, at many stands, clever electric cargo bikes were on display for the first time, which provided a new answer to the question of last-mile [deliveries].

“They are flexible, fast and environ- mentally friendly,” says Mattes.

“In addition, they have remarkably high torque, can store energy from braking in a high-voltage battery and use it the next time they move off.”

Mattes says the range of applications for commercial vehicles with electric propulsion is expanding all the time.

“This type of powertrain offers advantages in urban logistics: it is quiet, agile and has zero emissions, and a range that fully satisfies demands.”

Mattes says fuel consumption accounts for more than 25% of the total cost of ownership of long-haul trucks. And, unlike the market for passenger cars, the market for commercial vehicles is driven solely by efficiency.

“Low consumption is an important competitive advantage in the market.”

Mattes adds that there are many areas suitable for the deployment of the ET. However, natural gas must not be overlooked, particularly in metropolitan areas.

“E-fuels synthesised using renewable electricity open up the prospect of completely carbon dioxide (CO2) neutral operation – also for trucks.”

The 2018 IAA attracted 2 174 exhibitors from 48 countries, with 250 000 people visiting the show.

Emissions Regulations
According to Mattes, considerable progress has already been achieved in reducing European fuel consumption and CO2 output.

“Since 2000, CO2 emissions from road freight traffic in Germany have fallen by 8% – despite the increased volume of traffic – while emissions per ton-kilometre have come down by 35%.”
The VDA president, however, takes a critical view of the European Commission’s proposal for the first CO2 regulation for heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

“The industry, in principle, supports realistic regulation. However, the commission’s draft is totally out of proportion.”

The European Commission has proposed CO2 reduction targets of 15% by 2025 and 30% by 2030.

These targets are roughly double those that the industry considers very ambitious, but still feasible, says Mattes.

“Furthermore, the penalties for missing the targets are exorbitantly high and almost arbitrary.
“The European Parliament and the Council of Ministers are called on to make adjustments in order to find an approach that will indeed still be ambitious, but which, above all, must also be realistic and appropriate in practice.

“Brussels is oversimplifying the issue if it merely transfers the reduction rates for passenger cars to the commercial vehicle sector, which is completely different in nature.”