Sales of zero-emission trucks fell sharply in 2021. Only 264 zero-emission trucks were registered. That is almost half compared to a year earlier. According to the industry associations, the lack of financial support from the government is the reason for the plummeting sales. 'The decrease is partly caused by entrepreneurs who postpone their investment in anticipation of the purchase subsidy on these trucks,' state the trade associations RAI Association and BOVAG.
The time when zero-emission vehicles provide a one hundred percent valid business model is still a long way off. We are currently in a phase of testing grounds and individual business cases. For example, shippers contribute to the higher costs of the carriers, and carriers gain experience together with their customers.
In that regard, the lack of financial support from the government is only one of the reasons for the declining sales of sustainable trucks. Because the problems of availability, reliability and affordability have still not been resolved. There are simply not enough suitable trucks available that can be used both operationally and economically. Added to this is the limited availability of adequate charging infrastructure. All this translates into a significantly higher total cost of ownership (TCO) of zero-emission vehicles compared to that of diesel trucks.
In a TCO model, the cost of the vehicle, depreciation and maintenance costs are taken into account. But also the deployability in kilometres, time and capacity, with the fixed and variable charging infrastructure costs. Subsidies play a role in the TCO calculations because they lower the purchase price. Yet this reduction is so limited that the gap can ultimately only be closed with a higher price for the service provided with that truck. Zero-emission trucks are therefore currently more expensive and, on top of that, more difficult to deploy.
The logic of this mechanism shows that solutions must be sought and found across the board. This may mean that the obligation for zero-emission transport must be tightened up. So no exceptions and postponement. Or that the alternatives are made more expensive. Apart from that, without green electricity and adequate charging infrastructure, it will not even be possible to really save CO2. The ball is now in the national government's court to tackle this together with chain partners and suppliers of energy and infrastructure.
Also read: Stadtwerke München expands with Ebusco buses
