Electric vans: already more profitable than endothermic vans after 6 years

Electric cars (for private and commercial use) have an even higher purchase cost than endothermic cars in the same market segment. But what if, instead of just the purchase price, one considers the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), i.e. the total cost of a good or service over its entire life cycle, which includes, in the case of vehicles, all possible cost items from refuelling to maintenance? A precise idea, which clarifies the details of a comparison that might seem unimportant only on a superficial reading, is provided by the study 'The TCO for Logistics and Local Public Transport', carried out by Motus-E. The analysis only examines the segment of electric vans and buses, but provides an extremely comprehensive indication: already today, a transport company that uses an electric van instead of an endothermic one can save 21% in terms of total cost of ownership (TCO) just after 6 years of use. Of course, electric mobility is still penalised in terms of purchase costs (which are still higher than those with combustion engines), but shifting the focus to the vehicle's entire life cycle, electric vehicles have several cards to play in terms of cost savings. Above all, it is the lower operating costs that are able to fully offset the purchase cost. In more detail, according to Motus-E's data for the van segment, the higher purchase cost, which is 59% higher on average, is completely offset by 37% lower maintenance costs, 61% lower refuelling costs and 48% lower other usage-related costs (AdBlue consumption, insurance, etc.), leading to an average benefit of 21% within six years. The report also looks at long-haul heavy-duty vehicles, for which the lower operating costs cannot yet fully offset the higher purchase outlay. However, technological advances and the resulting rapid decline in vehicle costs suggest that within six years, electrics could be the most cost-effective solution for this type of mission as well.

This is why it is essential for Italia to quickly equip itself with a recharging network dedicated to heavy road transport, so that all operators in the sector can benefit from the economic advantages that electrification can guarantee in the coming years. In this sense, the study carried out by Motus-E in collaboration with GSE and Infoblu NewGen is relevant. For the first time in Italia, by analysing the data and mileage of more than 100,000 trucks circulating in the Peninsula, it has identified what the main areas to be infrastructured should be in order to allow transport companies to evaluate the transition to electric power where this will bring a real advantage. "The electrification of freight transport, on the long haul and for the last mile, is a trend to be watched with the utmost attention, which requires the synergic involvement of various players and which can guarantee very real advantages for operators in the sector," emphasises Motus-E president Fabio Pressi. Help for the development of this market segment can also come from the approval of specific measures to facilitate the purchase and use of electric vans and buses. This is the case of the minimum quotas of 'green' purchases in the PA as envisaged by the EU 'Clean Vehicles' directive or the measures contained in the National Programme for the renewal of LPT buses to be implemented by 2033. Moreover, according to Motus-E's President, "measures such as experimental forms of toll exemptions in compliance with the Eurovignette directive, on which Italia must catch up with the accumulated delay, and alternative tools to stimulate demand would be particularly useful, acting also on the side of commissioning, to recognise functional tariffs to operators to promote decarbonisation, leveraging on defiscalisation for commissioners who reduce their CO2 footprint, long-term calls for tenders for proper planning and clear award criteria based on emission cuts".