Transport & Environment — 2026-04-01
Land transportation
Electric trucks now almost €1,800 a month cheaper to run than diesel
The current volatility of oil prices would add an average of €890 to monthly fuel costs for European diesel trucks, a new T&E analysis shows. This is 1.5 times the cost increase that electric trucks would face. With fuel prices typically representing around a third of operating costs in road freight transport, and many operators running on margins of just 2%, diesel hauliers are particularly exposed to volatile oil markets, says T&E.
Diesel prices at the pump across major EU markets have climbed toward levels last seen during the 2022 energy crisis, exceeding €2 per litre. This means that in a country like Germany, the biggest truck market in Europe, operators are now expected to pay around €1210 more in diesel costs every month.
Electric trucks, on the other hand, are far less exposed to these shocks and provide greater protection against global fuel price volatility. In Germany, their monthly energy costs would only increase 460€. This makes a total of €1760 in savings compared to diesel trucks. The savings from driving an electric truck rather than a diesel one could be higher if hauliers invest in their own solar and battery storage infrastructure, as this reduces the amount of energy they need from the grid.
Stef Cornelis, director of freight and fleets at T&E said :
"Europe’s diesel trucks are at the mercy of volatile oil markets. While oil prices surge, electric trucks are proving far more resilient and cheaper to operate. Yet, European manufacturers are asking the European Commission to weaken CO₂ standards, which would delay the mass-scale production and the affordability of e-trucks. This crisis is a stark reminder to the European Commission that sticking to green truck laws benefits Europe’s logistics sector and strategic autonomy too."
Today, trucks contribute disproportionately to Europe’s oil demand. While they account for only 2% of vehicles on EU roads, they consume almost 20% of all road transport’s oil imports, making freight transport a major channel through which global oil price shocks land in the European economy.
Current CO₂ regulations for trucks have the potential to reduce Europe’s oil import dependency by about one‑fifth by 2035, and save Europe €28 billion. However, recently weakened targets risk delaying electrification and prolonging dependency on imported fossil fuels.
Notes to editors:
T&E analysis assumes that average diesel prices at the pump remain high at levels around €2 per litre, as last seen in the 2022 energy crisis when oil prices stayed around $100/barrel. On average, this means a 25% increase for diesel prices compared to the 2025 average.
The analysis assumes that the average EU non -household consumer electricity price would increase in the mid-term by 26% compared to H1 2025. This is based on what was seen in the 2022 crisis, when wholesale electricity prices jumped, but the end consumer prices progressively increased over a longer period (2-3 years).