Electric fleets coming soon?
Experts are convinced that truck fleets will swiftly convert their existing drives to battery power. By 2035, more than half of all trucks in Europe, China and the USA will be powered by batteries, and by 2040, 85% of vehicles will already have electric drives.
This is, in any case, according to a report by consultancy McKinsey presented at the recent IAA Transportation show in Hannover. However, there is no shortage of doubts about the future of electrics, as mentioned by participants in a discussion on green transport at the Translogistica trade fair in Warsaw.
Such an optimistic vision presented by McKinsey may raise doubts in view of the situation we face today. Sales of electric cars in Europe amount to just over 1% of all trucks, and potential buyers are discouraged by the high price of battery-powered trucks. Why, then, such optimism from the McKinsey study? (Title: ‘Preparing the world for zero-emission trucks’). Favourable legislation, such as the Fit for 55 package, but also technological advances and infrastructure development are expected to accelerate the transition to electrics.
As production grows, the price of new vehicles is also set to fall. According to the McKinsey report, the problem of availability of electric batteries, for example, will be resolved quickly, as 12 additional battery factories should be built worldwide by 2030. – But where will the used batteries be stored? This is something the European Union is unable to say today,” shared Mirosław Ganiec, editor-in-chief of the TSL Biznes magazine, during a panel discussion at the Translogistica trade fair in Warsaw. Other panellists also shared their doubts. Indeed, there is a lack of charging infrastructure in Europe, a shortage of parking spaces and insufficient subsidies for the purchase of trucks.
