The analysis, published on Freight Perspectives by Oleksandr Kulish of Trimble Transportation/Transporeon, says heavy-truck toll costs have risen by around 43% on average in Europe over the past five years, making them a much larger part of transport cost calculations for hauliers and shippers.
According to the Q2 2026 Total Cost of Ownership model cited in the analysis, Switzerland has the highest toll burden among the countries listed, with tolls accounting for 28% of total truck transport costs. Austria and Hungary follow at 22%, while Germany stands at 16%, France at 14% and Italy at 13%. In many other countries, tolls still make up a single-digit or negligible share of costs.
Switzerland, Austria and Hungary have the highest toll shares
The figures show how unevenly road charging now affects European transport costs. In Switzerland, tolls represent almost twice the share recorded in Germany, and more than double the share seen in Italy.
Austria and Hungary also stand out, each with tolls accounting for more than one-fifth of total transport costs. However, the analysis points out that a high toll share does not automatically mean a strong financial case for electric trucks.
Hungary is the clearest example: although its toll-cost share is as high as Austria’s, Transporeon says the structure of its incentives and CO₂ discount scaling is not strong enough to significantly change the total cost balance between diesel and electric trucks.
Tolls have risen 43% in five years
Transporeon says the rise in toll costs has been driven largely by the revised Eurovignette Directive, which requires CO₂-differentiated tolls across the EU. The idea behind the system is that cleaner vehicles should pay less. In practice, however, the financial effect differs sharply from country to country.
The analysis says that while many countries have formally adopted CO₂-based differentiation, the strongest cost advantage for battery-electric trucks is concentrated in a relatively small group of markets: the DACH countries and Denmark, with the Netherlands and Flanders expected to join them.
Electric trucks gain most where toll savings exceed 10 cents per kilometre
Transporeon defines “significant impact” markets as those where toll treatment gives zero-emission trucks a financial advantage of at least 10 cents per kilometre.
Germany is highlighted as one of the clearest examples. After the introduction of its CO₂ toll component in late 2023, diesel truck toll costs rose sharply, while fully electric trucks remain exempt from the federal highway toll until at least mid-2031.
Austria has also integrated CO₂ emission classes into its GO-Maut system, while Switzerland’s heavy vehicle fee structurally favours emission-free vehicle setups. Denmark’s recent toll changes are also included among the high-impact markets.
New toll systems expected in the Netherlands and Romania
The toll map is still changing. Transporeon says the Netherlands and Romania are expected to introduce new distance-based tolling systems by Q3 2026, expanding the number of countries where per-kilometre fees form part of operating costs.
The Netherlands is expected to become part of the group where toll rules create a stronger cost advantage for zero-emission trucks. In contrast, the analysis says the effect remains much weaker in markets where tolls are low or where CO₂ differentiation has only limited practical impact.
In Poland, tolls still represent a relatively low share of freight costs, so even a discount for electric trucks produces limited absolute savings. In Sweden, CO₂ differentiation exists, but the lack of a general kilometre-based heavy-truck toll on the road network means the financial benefit for zero-emission trucks remains marginal.
Higher road charges do not create the same options everywhere
The figures suggest that hauliers in Europe are facing two different toll realities.
In Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Germany, France and Italy, tolls already form a visible part of the operating cost base. But only some of these markets offer toll discounts or exemptions large enough to materially improve the electric-truck business case.
