Cars, vans, and trucks: EVs deliver OPEX savings today

A recent study published by Eurelectric examines three core segments; company cars, light commercial vans and medium‑ to heavy‑duty trucks, across several European markets. In every case, operators see clear running‑cost advantages when switching to zero‑emission models.

For company cars, electric models already deliver a 10-20% operating‑cost advantage when driven more than 25,000 km per year. In France, the gap reaches 33%, supported by lower electricity prices and favourable taxation. Incentive structures in Belgium and the UK further accelerate adoption.

For light commercial vans, the economics are even stronger. Electric vans can cut fuel expenditure by up to 60% and reduce maintenance costs by 20–30%. In France, they offer a 40% operating‑cost advantage over diesel equivalents. Urban access rules in the Netherlands and fiscal reforms in Belgium are also driving rapid uptake.

For medium and heavy‑duty trucks, the economics depend on route patterns and charging strategies, and while savings are emerging, targeted support is still needed. Long haul operations in France show a 14% reduction in running costs, rising to 16% on France-Germany routes and 5% on France-Romania corridors. Depot charging significantly improves the economics, and maintenance costs for electric trucks can be 30-40% lower than for diesel models.

Across all archetypes, EVs deliver OPEX savings today, even before factoring in future flexibility revenues. Because operating expenditure represents the largest share of a vehicle’s total cost of ownership (TCO), these running cost advantages are rapidly shifting the full economic balance in favour of electric fleets.

Managed charging already enables operators to reduce costs by shifting consumption to off-peak hours and avoiding high-tariff periods. This is exactly what ChargePlan does efficiently – for both AC and DC chargers – among other features like pro-active alarm systems.