Electric trucks account for just 0.3% of Europe’s truck fleet and can cost up to three times as much as a conventional model. Who will fund the transition? Will it be shippers, hauliers, consumers or public authorities? At the 2026 Rencontres de la Filière, held in Lyon Gerland on 22 October, a roundtable organised by SOLUTRANS+ and the FFC brought together three very different perspectives.
Published on Nov 10,2026 at 2:47 PM | Updated on Nov 10,2026 at 4:42 PM
Habib Turki, Secretary General of the IRU, opened the event with one figure. Meeting the EU’s 2030 CO₂ targets would require 400,000 zero-emission heavy goods vehicles on Europe’s roads. Today, electric trucks account for just 0.3% of the 6.2 million vehicles in service. The gap is considerable and raises an immediate question about how to finance the transition.

Shippers call for long-term contracts and are prepared to share the extra cost 

For Matteo Alexander Nenciolini (European Shippers’ Council), decarbonisation is a responsibility shared across the entire supply chain. Shippers are prepared to help fund low-emission vehicles if costs can be kept under control. He argues for long-term contracts to give hauliers greater certainty and help them invest, along with coordinated support at EU level to keep European companies competitive against rivals outside the EU. What about the end consumer? ‘Unfortunately, consumers will have to pay,’ he acknowledges. He even suggests using a QR code to show the transport footprint of products sold in shops. Meanwhile, the 2026 edition of the ‘SOLUTRANS Barometer on French perceptions of road transport’ found that 71% of consumers are unwilling to pay more for deliveries to reduce the environmental impact of trucks.

Wholesalers favour a mix of energy sources 

Christian Rose, of the Confédération des Grossistes de France, notes that its members’ fleets include 40,000 heavy goods vehicles and 190,000 light commercial vehicles. Some of these vehicles cover relatively few miles and stay with the business for years, with replacement cycles of eight to ten years. This changes how companies calculate total cost of ownership (TCO) and how quickly they can electrify their fleets. In his view, electric vehicles are still unsuitable for some uses, and the transition should benefit everyone involved. He believes there is still work to do on that front.

Hauliers weigh the value of financial support 

Representing the OTRE, Noël Thiefine reviewed the support schemes available, from enhanced tax depreciation for natural gas vehicles, available from 2016, to energy savings certificates, for which incentive payments rose sevenfold on 1 June 2026. In his view, this support can make the difference when a business weighs an investment against its total cost of ownership. He also pointed out that around 80% of businesses in the sector are microbusinesses or SMEs, which gives them limited bargaining power with shippers.

A different view came from Patrick Lacroix (Epsilog, TLF AURA), who runs a company with around 40 tractor units, including two electric models. He would prefer lower taxes to higher subsidies. ‘Less support, please,’ he said. What he wants most is a stable tax framework and the ability to plan ahead.

Where the panellists agreed 

Despite differing views on subsidies and the contribution shippers should make, the panellists agreed on four priorities. They want to set a pace for the transition that reflects operating realities, maintain a mix of energy sources, secure investment and share costs more fairly.

The full debate looks in more detail at the support schemes and how well they work, Article 18 of the draft transport framework bill and the responsibilities of shippers.

Read more in the special edition of SOLUTRANS LE MAG dedicated to the Rencontres de la Filière by SOLUTRANS+.

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