By Abbas Nazil
Heavy-duty electric tractor-trailers deployed in real-world operations across Europe are showing promising performance, according to a new report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), released on August 6, 2025.
The report analyzes 91 electric tractor-trailer trucks operated by members of the European Clean Trucking Alliance (ECTA), focusing on regional goods transport in three main use cases: multimodal transport, quasi-shuttle delivery, and multi-destination distribution.
All vehicles assessed had similar technical specifications, particularly a gross vehicle weight above 30 tonnes and an average battery size of 530 kWh.
The study found significant variation in energy consumption depending on the specific use case and operational conditions, with values ranging between 92 and 150 kWh per kilometer.
On average, the energy use of these electric trucks was 65% lower than that of comparable diesel models, pointing to substantial efficiency advantages.
Real-world driving ranges also exceeded expectations.
Fleets experienced performance that was, on average, 11% to 19% higher than the nominal ranges advertised by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
This unexpected range advantage highlights that electric tractor-trailers can outperform specifications under certain operational conditions.
Despite these positive findings, the report identifies underutilization of battery capacity as a challenge.
The trucks’ batteries were oversized relative to actual daily usage, with an average depth of discharge of only 44%.
This underutilization inflates battery costs and limits progress toward achieving total cost of ownership (TCO) parity with diesel trucks.
To address this, ICCT recommends that fleets focus on high daily driving distances and develop smart charging strategies.
The economic potential of electric trucks is most evident when they are used intensively along predictable routes with consistent charging opportunities.
Efficient charging schedules that encourage deeper battery discharge can improve battery utilization and reduce overall costs.
The report emphasizes that access to low electricity prices, such as off-peak utility tariffs, further strengthens the economic case for electric trucks.
These insights are essential for policymakers, fleet managers, and manufacturers seeking to scale up the adoption of zero-emission transport across the European Union.
Real-world data like this helps bridge the gap between trial-phase optimism and the long-term practicality of electric freight transport.
The findings also support the broader decarbonization goals of the European transport sector by showing that electric tractor-trailers are not only viable but may even outperform their diesel counterparts when deployed under the right conditions.
This report is part of ICCT’s ongoing series evaluating the performance of zero-emission technology in real-world fleet operations.
