A relocation from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to Girona, Spain, marked the commencement of an electric truck journey that lasted approximately three days and spanned four countries.
As explained by Felix Hamer and Hugo Bos, the protagonists of this expedition, to Mobility Portal Europe, the trip was not without its challenges.
“Access to chargers remains the greatest obstacle for eTrucks,” they assert.
The principal hurdle was encountered in France.
The country invested in charging infrastructure along its motorways, ensuring that nearly all service stations are equipped with charging points.
“However, these facilities are primarily designed for cars,” they emphasise.
One of the most critical moments of the journey occurred when the truck’s battery reached 0% amidst a snowstorm.
Faced with the inability to use the planned station, they opted for an unconventional alternative: recharging at a fast-food chain.
“McDonald’s made the trip possible,” Bos states.
According to the protagonists, this was the most unexpected surprise of the roadtrip.
“Their car parks are spacious, with little foot traffic, and we discovered that the prices are incredibly low,” they elaborate.
They highlight: “In fact, we found no cheaper way to charge in France than by going to McDonald’s.”
Within this context, Hamer and Bos make an appeal to Charge Point Operators (CPOs): “Physical space and ease of access are paramount.”
Although they have experience in truck driving, they caution that for a less skilled driver, recharging would have been unfeasible.
This is due to the complexity of parking correctly in some stations, which presents a significant challenge.
“Even at stations specifically designed for these vehicles, entering and exiting was not always straightforward when arriving with a large truck like ours,” they point out.
In this regard, the team discovered that, in many cases, high-power chargers were obstructed by physical barriers to prevent access by large vehicles.
Additionally, height restrictions at many service stations, which are exclusively designed for passenger cars, further complicate the issue.
“We saw empty charging bays for cars, while lorry parking areas were overcrowded, with vehicles even stopping on motorway access ramps,” they add.
Another crucial aspect is the need for stations to be designed with overnight charging in mind, allowing drivers to take advantage of their legally mandated rest periods to “refuel” their vehicles.
This is one of the issues that the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), promoted by the European Union, aims to address.
It mandates the deployment of at least 3,600 kW of charging capacity for heavy transport every 60 km on main roads and 1,500 kW every 100 km on secondary routes, with a target set for 2030.
Another challenge identified by Hamer and Bos is the cost of charging: “For a truck, securing a good price is essential.“
“This journey would have become absurd had we been required to pay the prices that some of these chargers actually demand,” they elaborate.
Further details of the journey in eTruck
For the roadtrip, Scania Netherlands provided them with a demonstration electric truck designed for urban distribution.
“Although it did not charge particularly quickly relative to the size of its battery, the advantage was that, as it did not require ultra-fast charging, we were able to utilise almost any rapid charger in France at full power,” they explain.
The vehicle had a maximum range of 220 kilometres, with a 200 kWh battery.
While the electric journey took two and a half days, Bos explains that with a diesel truck, the estimated time would have been two days.
“If charging could be optimised while resting, the total duration would be practically the same,” he clarifies.
This also depends on the truck’s charging speed and battery capacity.
One of the advantages over combustion vehicles became evident in performance on inclines.
“While traversing mountainous areas, we saw diesel trucks climbing at incredibly slow speeds,” notes Hamer.
And he underscores: “With the electric, you have incredible torque, so we overtook them effortlessly.”
In this context, they highlight that one of the greatest challenges for trucking companies will be the digitalisation of these vehicles.
“If the truck does not instruct the driver on what to do, it is of no use. One should not have to be an ev enthusiast like us to be able to operate it,” they explain.
Thus, it is demonstrated that relocating from the Netherlands to Spain with an eTruck is indeed feasible.
“Honestly, I expected something to go wrong at some point, but in reality, it was far better than I had imagined,” concludes Hamer.
