According to a report by Eurelectric, Europe is far from meeting its target of having between 300,000 and 400,000 zero-emission trucks on the road by 2030. 64706b

In 2023, electric trucks ed for only 1.5% of the market, while electric bus sales rose to 14%. Therefore, electric heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) will need to grow significantly to meet the 2030 target, and Europe must create the right conditions to this market expansion.

For the electricity sector, this means that distribution grids must become enablers rather than bottlenecks for the deployment of HDV charging infrastructure—especially considering the higher power demands of heavy vehicles compared to traditional cars and vans.

To address the obstacles standing in the way of this goal, the European Electricity Industry and the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) have developed a set of policy recommendations:

1. Accelerate grid anticipatory investments and permitting to allow DSOs to make investments based on projected HDV charging demands.

2. Fast-track charging infrastructure rollout for heavy-duty vehicles, whose charging cycles mostly happen during overnight depot, but also en-route at truck stops in the case of long-haul. The framework should guarantee that the needed energy can be provided when and where required, with flexibility options such as smart charging based on the drivers’ schedule.

3. Develop harmonised grid hosting capacity maps to give the right investment signals to electric vehicles buyers and/or installers of charging infrastructure.

4. Implement a fair remuneration framework for DSOs, as it is essential for attracting private investment in grid infrastructure. Current cost benchmarks are outdated, and DSOs shouldn’t bear excessive risk from uncertain demand. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) should reflect today’s economic conditions and investment needs.

5. Address supply chain bottlenecks for materials such as transformers, copper, aluminium, cables and electrical steel and reduce lead times for grid components.

6. Promoting interoperable data exchange among market players to ensure grid planning and charging infrastructure development reflect the needs of HDV charging.

7. Introduce prioritisation criteria for DSOs to better manage connection requests. This could be facilitated by classifying charging infrastructure for HDVs as “critical infrastructure” under the European Clean Transport Corridor Initiative. dame esto en español.