“Beyond Diesel”: How electric trucks become a competitive advantage today

*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 entire system matters

 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.

MAN’s comprehensive eTruck lineup: four model series with gross vehicle weights ranging from 12 to 50 metric tons.

BEV Starter: A structured entry into electrification

 The family-owned company Foppiani Transport from Milan operates an entirely MAN-based fleet in national line-haul and specialist transport services. With one electric tractor unit, one electric chassis vehicle, another MAN eTGX on order, depot charging infrastructure, and a 350 kWp photovoltaic installation in Milan, Foppiani demonstrates how a carefully selected initial route can become the starting point for electrification, even under challenging conditions.

 

Customer involvement proved to be a key success factor: “The added value of battery-electric trucks outweighs the additional costs, because our customers are willing to pay a premium for the benefits provided,” says Pietro Zanon, Purchasing & Maintenance Manager at Foppiani.

 

BEV Scaler: Scaling and economic performance above all

 

Operating within the tight schedules of the concrete logistics sector, the medium-sized company Betonwerk Bad Lausick uses five MAN eTGX trucks equipped with six battery packs, supported by a sophisticated depot energy ecosystem comprising 400 kW charging stations, 1.8 MWp of photovoltaic capacity, and battery storage systems across multiple locations. This setup delivers a TCO advantage of approximately €500,000 over five years.

 

For Managing Director Robin Schulze, economic viability is the primary consideration: “I will not stand here and engage in greenwashing. Economic viability must take precedence over everything else.” It is precisely this pragmatic, cost-focused approach that makes the example particularly credible for other fleet operators.

 

BEV System Operator: Electrification as a business strategy

 

For Schlager Transport Logistik, electrification is an integral part of the company’s business strategy. The Austrian long-haul transport specialist already operates a fleet that is 50 percent battery-electric and aims to become fully electric from 2030 onward. This transition is supported by an integrated depot energy system at its Saxen site, including approximately 765 kWp of photovoltaic capacity and 1.6 MWh of battery storage. Owner Hubert Schlager initially calculated the business case himself using Excel and concludes: “I am firmly convinced that around half of all commercial vehicle fleets in Germany and Austria can already be electrified economically today.”

 

“The examples clearly demonstrate that electric trucks are already economically viable today. However, the decisive competitive advantage will be secured only by those companies that electrify the entire system consisting of vehicle, depot, charging infrastructure, and energy management. At MAN, we support both new and existing customers as a trusted partner, providing clarity on where they currently stand in their transformation journey and how they can continue to develop,” says Roland Schurig, Vice President Zero Emission Projects at MAN Truck & Bus.