Park Your Truck: New Study by Öko-Institut - Acceptance of Electric Trucks Is Rising!

The logistics industry is shifting gears: According to a recent survey by the Öko-Institut, conducted among more than 200 logistics companies, 77% of respondents expect battery-electric trucks to be in regular operation by 2030. Back in 2021, just 5% anticipated standard deployment. The signal is clear – the powertrain transition in road freight transport is gaining momentum. At the same time, the study reveals that structural barriers are slowing market ramp-up – above all, the lack of charging infrastructure.

Battery-Electric Beats Hydrogen

The study's findings confirm a trend that we at Charge Your Truck have been observing in practice for years: battery-electric drivetrains are establishing themselves in industry perception as the key technology for decarbonising freight transport. While around 80% of companies still attributed a significant role to hydrogen trucks by 2030 back in 2021, today less than half expect widespread deployment of this technology.

For carriers and fleet operators, the takeaway is clear: those who start planning today are investing in the technology that will prevail.

The Industry Is Willing – But the Infrastructure Is Missing

The willingness is there: 61% of surveyed companies have already actively engaged with the procurement of electric trucks. 28% are planning concrete deployment by 2030. At the same time, 95% of companies do not yet have a single electric truck in their fleet.

What is holding back the transition? The study identifies three key barriers:

• Lack of charging infrastructure: Every other company cites the absence of public charging points as the main reason for not procuring electric trucks. 83% of companies with their own depot have not yet invested in charging infrastructure.
• Knowledge gaps on costs and funding: 61% have not conducted a systematic cost comparison between electric and diesel trucks. Fewer than a third were able to correctly assess the toll exemption for zero-emission trucks – despite its significant impact on total cost of ownership.
• Unknown grid capacities: Two-thirds of companies with their own depot do not know the available grid connection capacity at their sites. More than half do not even know the electricity price at their own depot.

E-Trucks in Logistics: Key Findings from the Öko-Institut Survey

Share of surveyed logistics companies

Parking times sufficient for charging: 85%

Expect e-trucks in operation by 2030: 77%

Actively engaging with e-truck procurement: 61%

Lack of charging points as purchase barrier: 50%

Planning concrete e-truck deployment by 2030: 28%

Source: Öko-Institut (2026) – Survey of 200+ logistics companies
(https://www.oeko.de/publikation/acceptance-of-electric-trucks-in-the-german-logistics-industry/)

What the Study Also Shows: Conditions Are Better than Expected

The survey delivers a surprising finding: only around 15% of heavy-duty trucks have dwell times so short that charging during daily operations would be problematic. For 85% of vehicles, parking times are sufficient for regular battery charging.

Overnight parking locations also paint a clear picture: on average, 42% of trucks are parked at the company's own depot overnight, 18% in public spaces and 6% at third-party depots. The vehicles are already stationary – they are just not charging yet.

The difference is particularly striking among so-called early adopters: companies with hands-on electric truck experience assess deployment potential far more realistically – and more positively. Reservations tend to diminish through practical operational experience.

How Charge Your Truck Is Closing the Gap

The study makes it clear: it is not willingness that is lacking – it is infrastructure. This is exactly where we come in. Charge Your Truck plans, builds, operates and markets charging infrastructure for heavy-duty electric transport – right where trucks actually stand.

Charging Infrastructure Along Real-World Routes

Around one-third (32%) of the surveyed companies do not have their own depot. These companies depend on charging infrastructure provided by third parties. Together with carriers and fleet operators, we analyse real-world routes and identify the locations where vehicles are stationary during the course of the day – during rest breaks, overnight or while waiting at the loading dock. This is where we build bookable charging hubs with hyperchargers delivering 500+ kW, embedded within the existing network of over 10,000 parking spaces across Europe.

Depot Charging on Your Own Premises

Around a quarter (24%) of companies with their own depot are planning investments in charging infrastructure – yet 67% do not even know the grid connection capacity at their site. We provide support from grid planning through installation to operations management – scalable, so the infrastructure grows with the fleet. Available charging capacity can be marketed through our booking system, generating additional revenue.

Charging and Parking as an Integrated System

85% of trucks have sufficient parking time for charging. That is why we never think of charging infrastructure in isolation, but always in combination with parking areas, security and driver comfort – aligned with rest periods, driving time regulations and real-world operational workflows.

Flexible Models – From Turnkey Solutions to Full-Service Operations

83% of companies have not yet invested in charging infrastructure. Whether as solution provider, charge point operator or broker and marketer: we adapt to the specific need – and, if required, take over the entire process from site acquisition to the marketing of available charging slots. Without the company having to become an infrastructure operator itself.

Now Is the Right Time

The Öko-Institut study makes it clear: the industry is ready for the transition – but it needs the right infrastructure to make it happen. Those who set the course today will secure operational advantages, benefit from regulatory incentives such as the toll exemption, and build the early experience that makes all the difference.

About Park Your Truck 

Park Your Truck  is a leading provider of truck parking and charging infrastructure across Europe. The company has received multiple awards, including the DVZ LEO Award, the Eco Performance Award and the Handelsblatt Genius Award. With innovative concepts, modern working models and a strong, diverse team, Park Your Truck is actively shaping the future of freight transport.
More information is available at  www.park-your-truck.com.