Takeaways from the ALICE webinar: “From Vision to Practice – Real-World Strategies for Decarbonising Heavy-Duty Transport”

The current landscape of low-emission heavy-duty transport 

Heavy-duty transport electrification is progressing, still some challenges remain and prevent mass adoption. The successful integration of electric and hydrogen heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) into logistics operations requires: 

• Robust charging and refuelling infrastructure to support long-haul and regional logistics.  
• Efficient logistics and fleet management strategies and tools to optimise routes and charging schedules.  
• Grid capacity to support high increase in electricity demand 
• Policy support and financial incentives to accelerate adoption and ensure economic viability. 

Fernando Liesa, Secretary General of ALICE, outlined how European initiatives and projects are addressing these challenges. He emphasised that moving from individual pilot projects to scalable and reliable operations in regions and corridors requires collaboration across stakeholders, concerted actions and investments in large scale programmes.  

Insights from industry leaders 

Truck manufacturers: solutions and market readiness 

Representatives from Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks emphasised that the transition is well underway, with battery-electric and fuel-cell electric trucks already on the market and more models in development. 

• Volvo Trucks has been producing electric trucks since 2019 and has already delivered over 4,600 units worldwide, with a growing number of long-haul capable models entering the market. 
• Renault Trucks is expanding its electric vehicle (EV) range, covering regional and urban logistics, and will soon introduce long-range models. 
• Both manufacturers stressed that while technology is advancing rapidly, deployment relies on a reliable charging/refuelling network and supportive regulation. 
• The ZEFES project is demonstrating real-world applications of long-haul electric trucks, testing different use cases across Europe. 

Charging infrastructure: the backbone of electrification 

Milence provided an update on the company’s mission to build Europe’s largest public charging network for heavy-duty trucks. 

• Charging hubs are being strategically developed along major transport corridors, with over 70 locations secured and several already operational. 
• Megawatt Charging System (MCS) technology is being introduced to significantly reduce charging times and enable seamless long-haul operations. It will enable trucks to charge in less than 30 minutes. 
• Depot charging and public charging will complement each other, but grid connection challenges remain a key hurdle for private infrastructure. 
• The FLEXMCS project and the MACBETH project are developing multi-megawatt charging solutions for trucks, including mobile autonomous charging stations and dynamic charging hubs. 

Real-world implementation and business case 

Colruyt Group and An Post shared their experiences with deploying electric and hydrogen trucks. 

• Colruyt Group is integrating a mixed fleet strategy, aiming for 75% hydrogen fuel cell and 25% battery-electric trucks by 2030 in their own fleet. The company is also investing in hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and renewable energy sources to support its fleet and partners. 
• An Post, Ireland’s national postal service, has already achieved emission-free deliveries in all cities and is now focusing on decarbonising long-haul transport. 

The road ahead: next steps for the industry show TCO and Logistics operational models as the most important factor 

Participants engaged in a live poll to identify the most pressing limiting factors for the adoption of heavy-duty electric trucks in the next three years. The top challenges were: 

• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and business case viability. While electric trucks have lower operational costs, their high upfront investment remains a barrier. Most importantly, operational models and execution needs to be fine tuned. 
• Infrastructure availability . The lack of sufficient public charging and hydrogen refuelling stations continues to hinder adoption and was highlighted as one of the critical challenges to execute ZEFES demonstrations. 
• Renewable energy availability. Access to clean electricity is critical for ensuring that zero-emission vehicles truly contribute to decarbonisation. 
• Integrated logistics tools. Companies need better tools and planning systems to optimise charging and refuelling stops within existing supply chain operations. 

The decarbonisation of heavy-duty transport is a shared challenge that requires collaboration between manufacturers, logistics service providers, infrastructure developers, and policy makers. Key recommendations from the webinar include: 

• Encourage large-scale demonstrations. EU-funded projects such as ZEFES, FLEXMCS, and Macbeth are needed to validate real-world solutions. Larger demonstrations are key for accelerating. 
• Foster collaboration: Logistics providers, OEMs, and energy companies must work together to develop efficient charging strategies and ensure fleet readiness. 
• Accelerate infrastructure deployment. Public and private investment in charging hubs and hydrogen stations should be increased to support fleet electrification as highlighted in a recent article on ZEFES and AFIF. 
• Improve policy alignment. Standardising regulations across European borders will help streamline cross-border electric transport operations. 
• Enhance business case viability. Fleets need financial incentives, subsidies, and predictable electricity pricing to make electric truck adoption economical viable. 

The webinar outlined that the transition to zero-emission heavy-duty transport is already underway, but its success will depend on continued innovation, investment, and industry-wide collaboration.