Key takeaways:
- About 6.2 million trucks operate on roads across the European Union.
- The average truck in the EU is around 14 years old.
- Battery-electric vehicles accounted for just 0.3% of the EU’s total truck fleet in 2024.
- Battery-electric trucks reached 4.8% of new EU truck registrations in the first half of 2026.
- Diesel accounted for 92.1% of new truck registrations in the EU.
- In April 2026, 373 sites offering charging infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles were operating across 21 European countries.
ACEA’s figures show two very different rates of change in European road transport. Sales of new electric trucks are growing quickly, but their impact on the fleet already in service remains limited.
During the first half of 2026, registrations of battery-electric trucks in the EU rose by 47.7% year on year, taking their market share to 4.8%. A year earlier, the figure stood at 3.6%.
At the same time, 92.1% of all new trucks were still powered by diesel. The contrast is even sharper when the entire vehicle population is considered. According to the latest ACEA report, around 6.2 million trucks operate on EU roads. In 2024, battery-electric vehicles accounted for just 0.3% of the total fleet.
Electric truck sales are growing, but diesel remains dominant
Registrations of new trucks in the EU totalled 171,933 in the first six months of 2026, up 9.8% from the same period a year earlier. Registrations of heavy vehicles increased by 11.1%.
Electric trucks, however, grew much faster than the overall market. Battery-electric truck registrations climbed by 47.7%.
That growth was concentrated in a small number of markets. Germany, the Netherlands and France together accounted for 74% of all electric truck registrations in the EU during the first half of 2026. Registrations rose by 88.5% in Germany, 44.5% in the Netherlands and 43.7% in France.
The market for new vehicles is therefore shifting towards electric drivetrains. Replacing the existing fleet, however, is a much slower process because millions of trucks remain in operation.
Replacing an ageing truck fleet takes time
ACEA reports that the average truck on EU roads is around 14 years old, making trucks the oldest of the main vehicle categories. Given this replacement cycle, even a sharp increase in electric truck sales cannot transform the entire fleet at the same pace.
For years to come, vehicles with different drivetrains will operate alongside one another across Europe. Diesel will continue to power much of the existing fleet, while electric trucks gradually gain ground as older vehicles are replaced.
The gap between a 4.8% share of new registrations in the first half of 2026 and a 0.3% share of the total fleet in 2024 illustrates the scale of the challenge.
Electric trucks need infrastructure designed for heavy vehicles
A wider choice of electric truck models is only one part of the transition. Charging infrastructure is equally important. The European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO), which monitors alternative fuels and charging infrastructure across Europe, now publishes separate figures for public charging facilities serving heavy-duty vehicles.
According to its April 2026 data, 373 sites for heavy-duty vehicles were operating in 21 European countries, with a combined 2,405 charging points and 1,225 charging stations. Of these, 278 were mixed-use sites serving heavy vehicles alongside other vehicle categories. The remaining 95 locations were dedicated exclusively to heavy-duty vehicles.
Earlier EAFO data identified Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and France among the countries with the largest public charging networks for heavy-duty vehicles. The same pattern is evident in the electric truck market: Germany, the Netherlands and France are leading markets for new electric trucks and are also among the countries with the most developed public charging infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles.
Vehicle availability is only part of the challenge
Manufacturers are expanding their electric heavy-duty ranges. Buyers can now choose from models designed not only for urban distribution and regional operations, but also for long-distance transport. Some available or announced models have a claimed range of 550–700 km — a figure that would have been out of reach for electric heavy transport only a few years ago.
As more suitable vehicles become available, the conditions for operating them day to day are becoming increasingly important.
For carriers, the key issue is not simply whether a charger exists. Its power output, accessibility for truck combinations, location along major freight corridors and compatibility with mandatory driver rest breaks all matter. Depot infrastructure is also critical, as is the ability to secure sufficient grid capacity for charging operations.
Carriers are turning to intermediate solutions
Electrification is not the only route being explored. Some operators are increasingly using alternative fuels such as HVO, bioLNG and bioCNG. Eurowag says these options can help carriers reduce emissions gradually without replacing their entire fleets immediately.
The company also points out that the pace of the transition varies widely across Europe. Carriers in Central and Eastern Europe face higher costs and slower development of the infrastructure needed for lower-emission transport, potentially widening the gap between regions.
Eurowag is developing its own European acceptance network for alternative fuels, along with services designed to support decarbonisation. Through a single platform, carriers can access HVO, bioLNG and bioCNG, as well as a virtual HVO service.
These solutions do not challenge diesel’s dominant position today. They do show, however, that some transport companies are looking for practical ways to reduce emissions now rather than waiting for full fleet electrification.
New sales are changing faster than the fleet
The latest figures underline one central point: the composition of new registrations should not be confused with the makeup of Europe’s entire truck fleet.
In the first half of 2026, battery-electric truck registrations rose by 47.7% year on year, giving them a 4.8% share of the new-vehicle market. Yet data for 2024 show that battery-electric vehicles represented just 0.3% of all trucks operating on EU roads.
With the fleet averaging around 14 years in age, replacing millions of vehicles will take many years. The pace of change will depend not only on the price and availability of new trucks, but also on the expansion of charging networks, grid connections at transport depots and the operating economics of alternative drivetrains. Diesel therefore remains by far the dominant power source in European heavy-duty road transport, even as the market for new trucks begins to shift more rapidly.
