E-fuels in trucks: expensive, scarce, and less green

This report examines battery-electric trucks (BETs) against vehicles that operate on synthetic fuels (e-fuels) in 2035 in terms of lifetime emissions and total cost, and it concludes that e-fuels are not practical nor sensible for use in trucks.

In 2035, the cost of purchasing and fueling a new diesel truck with pure e-diesel would be 47% more than the cost of an equal BET. E-diesel would not be cost-competitive even in the best case scenario (i.e. in used vehicles and with higher battery and energy rates for BETs). This is due to the fact that the cheaper energy and maintenance expenses of BETs rapidly balance their higher initial purchase costs. In 2035, the cost of e-diesel is anticipated to be 52% higher than that of fossil diesel.

BETs purchased in 2035 and powered by EU grid energy reduce GHG emissions during their lifetime by 86% compared to traditional diesel trucks. In comparison, a diesel truck running on RED II-compliant e-diesel would produce roughly three times as much carbon dioxide (CO2) throughout its lifespan as an identical BET, although saving 60% relative to fossil diesel emissions. Even if e-diesel manufacturing and BET charging were powered entirely by renewable energy, the e-diesel vehicle would still produce 41% more greenhouse gases than the BET over the course of its lifespan.

Bar chart comparing total cost of ownership per kilometer in 2035 for different truck types. New e-diesel truck costs 0.70 €/km, secondhand e-diesel truck 0.58 €/km, new battery-electric truck 0.50 €/km, and a new battery-electric truck (worse case) 0.48 €/km.
Source: E-fuels in trucks expensive scarce and less green than batteries | Transport & Environment

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