A new strategic report from MAN Truck & Bus, titled “Beyond Diesel,” demonstrates through three international fleets at different stages of electrification that early adopters are gaining a structural competitive advantage.
The recently published strategic report “Beyond Diesel” from MAN Truck & Bus illustrates how the transition to battery-electric trucks can create a structural competitive advantage and why eTrucks are increasingly influencing access to customers and transport contracts.
Battery-electric trucks are no longer a technology of the future but an operational reality: more than 15,000 eTrucks are already in daily operation on Europe’s roads, run by around 5,000 haulage and transport companies.
The commercial vehicle market is undergoing a structural transformation and will continue to advance this development. The European Union requires manufacturers to reduce fleet CO₂ emissions significantly, while an increasing number of shippers are already demanding emission-free transport in their tenders. As a result, electrification is shifting from an option to a necessity. According to leading studies, the share of battery-electric new truck registrations is expected to reach 15 to 35 percent from 2030 onward.
Companies that begin electrifying their depots and fleets early can often benefit from higher rates for zero-emission transport services, position themselves as essential partners within low-carbon supply chains, and build the expertise in energy generation and management that will be critical to long-term success.
The decisive advantage does not arise from the vehicle alone, but from the entire ecosystem of vehicle, depot, charging infrastructure, and energy management. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is determined by factors such as energy prices, charging infrastructure, toll charges, and CO₂-related costs.
The depot represents the greatest lever for profitability. Up to 90 percent of all charging events already take place, and will continue to take place, at the operator’s own facilities. By combining photovoltaic systems, battery storage, and intelligent charging strategies, energy costs can be reduced to below €0.16 per kilowatt-hour. Over a five-year period, this can generate TCO advantages of up to 13 percent compared with diesel vehicles.
The MAN strategic report “Beyond Diesel” demonstrates that this approach is already working today through three real-world customer archetypes at different stages of business transformation: Foppiani Transport (Italy) represents the structured entry into electrification, Betonwerk Bad Lausick (Germany) exemplifies scaling through intelligent energy systems, and Schlager Transport Logistik (Austria) showcases a successful end-to-end electrification model.
