Isn't an electric truck way more expensive?
To buy, yes — roughly €80–100k more than a diesel, plus the charger. But it's so much cheaper to run (electricity, toll, service) that it usually wins back the difference in 4–6 years and saves money after that. This tool shows you exactly when.
Why is the road toll so much lower?
In Belgium a zero-emission truck pays a much lower kilometre charge than diesel from 2026 (€0.038 vs €0.286 per km in Flanders at the 2026 rate). At a typical Belgian-corridor mix this is worth around €15 000 per truck per year. It's the single biggest reason electric wins here — the engine models all six toll zones (VL/BR/WA/NL/DE/FR) year by year, identical to the full analysis.
Will it get far enough on one charge?
In real work today’s long-haul electric trucks do about 500–550 km on a charge, and they charge overnight at your own depot. The newest ones go further: the MAN eTGX shown in 2026 is quoted at 660 km, and over 700 km with the biggest battery pack. For a normal Belgian day — including a run to Rotterdam or the Ruhr — that means plugging in at night and never having to charge along the road.
Do I need an expensive charging station?
For overnight charging at your own depot you don't need the fastest, most expensive chargers. Trucks sit for hours, so they charge slowly and cheaply — usually one charger shared between a couple of trucks, plus a grid connection. The cost is built into the "Truck + charger" figure above.
What about the battery wearing out?
Modern truck batteries come with long warranties (often 700 000 km or more) and lose only about 2–3% of range a year. We keep the resale value cautious on purpose, so the numbers don't flatter electric.
Are these numbers realistic?
They use Belgian 2026 prices — real diesel pump prices, the new kilometre charge, depot electricity, and conservative assumptions throughout. If anything they're on the careful side. Change the sliders to match your own situation.
I drive a lot outside Belgium — does that change things?
Yes. The big toll saving is a
Belgian thing. Countries like France don't give electric trucks the same toll discount, so if most of your kilometres are abroad the saving shrinks. The detailed
CFO version lets you split your kilometres per country.