Hydrogen, electric, biofuel: which energy for heavy transport right now

Electric: unbeatable in town, still limited on the road

The battery electric truck (BEV) is a natural fit for urban rounds and last-mile delivery. Quiet operation, no local emissions, lower maintenance costs: on short, predictable routes the equation already works for many fleets.

On long-haul routes, the picture shifts. Battery weight eats into payload, range remains limited, and the fast-charging network suited to heavy trucks is still in its infancy on major European corridors.

• Pros: lower running costs, quiet operation, ideal for urban logistics
• Pros: growing technological maturity on short and medium-range models
• Cons: range and charging times incompatible with long-haul operations
• Cons: heavy-duty charging infrastructure almost nonexistent on highways
• Cons: battery weight reduces usable payload

Hydrogen: a credible promise, not yet an operational solution

On paper, hydrogen ticks every box: zero tailpipe emissions, diesel-like range, short refuelling times. It is a technology Heeding follows closely, since it structurally addresses the constraints of heavy freight.

But for a transport director today, the promise remains largely theoretical. Vehicle and station acquisition costs are high, and the distribution network is almost nonexistent outside a handful of pilot corridors.

• Pros: range and refuelling time comparable to diesel
• Pros: zero local emissions, strong long-term potential
• Cons: high investment cost (vehicles, stations)
• Cons: distribution network almost nonexistent in Europe

Biofuel: the only decarbonisation option available right now

HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) is a drop-in fuel: it replaces diesel with no engine modification and no change to refuelling logistics. It is the only solution that decarbonises an existing fleet without waiting for vehicle turnover.

• Pros: immediately compatible with existing diesel trucks
• Pros: significant, traceable and documented GHG reduction
• Pros: growing availability through existing distribution networks
• Cons: dependent on feedstock availability and cost
• Cons: does not remove the need for a longer-term shift to electric or hydrogen

Choose the right energy, not the trendiest one

There is no single right answer, only a hierarchy of maturity. Electric works for short rounds, hydrogen remains a future path to prepare for, and biofuel is the only lever that can be activated immediately across an entire long-haul fleet.

A pragmatic transport director combines these energies according to use case, rather than betting on a single technology. The priority remains securing measurable emission reductions without waiting for infrastructure to fully mature.