Electric trucks 2026: models, range and price compared

Tractor units for long haul and heavy distribution – and now also rigid trucks (chassis with body) from the 7.5-tonner to the 6×2 three-axle, plus e-trailers. Use the chips above to switch between “Tractor units”, “Rigid trucks” and “E-trailers”. Prices are on request – the ranges are estimates in £ for the calculation, replace them with your own offer in the TCO calculator.

How to read range and consumption

Each card shows two lines: the manufacturer range (OEM claim, tractor units at 40 t under ideal conditions) and the consumption that claim implies – usable battery (90 % of nominal capacity) divided by the range. Below that is our real-world figure for winter, terrain and full load and the real-world range that follows from it. Example Volvo FH Aero Electric: 780 kWh nominal, ~700 kWh usable, the claimed 700 km imply ~100 kWh/100 km; at 118 kWh/100 km in practice about 590 km remain. Rigid trucks run lighter at 18–27 t and use correspondingly less – 7.5-tonners around 55 kWh, 26-tonners around 90–100 kWh per 100 km.

For dispatch

The 500 km class plus one MCS stop in the 45-minute break covers daily legs up to about 800 km. Rigid trucks in distribution get through the day almost always without intermediate charging on 250–400 km of real-world range and charge overnight at the depot at 50–150 kW – which keeps the grid connection small (see the charging page).

E-trailers: range and cooling from the trailer

Two types: the e-trailer with drive axle (Trailer Dynamics/Krone, 300–600 kWh, series production at Krone from 2026) has its own battery and pushes the rig along – +300 to +500 km on an e-truck, 20–40 % less fuel on a diesel rig. Price by market observation £130–215k (estimate), extra weight 3–4 t, only partly offset by the 2 t zero-emission weight allowance. The electric reefer trailer (Schmitz Cargobull S.KOe COOL, Krone Cool Liner with Celsineo/AxlePower, components from BPW and SAF-Holland) replaces the diesel generator of the cooling unit with a recuperation axle and battery – £22–30k extra, no more diesel in the trailer. For the TCO calculation: the drive trailer is an alternative to a bigger battery in the tractor and to en-route charging, the reefer trailer is its own business case on the unit’s diesel (about 2–3 l/h).

Maintenance and service

In the TCO calculator we assume 8p/km of maintenance for the electric truck against 12p/km for diesel – about a third less, adjustable. The reason: no engine oil, no filters, no AdBlue, no exhaust after-treatment (DPF/SCR), no clutch wear and hardly any gearbox wear. The service brake only does a small share of the braking, regeneration does the rest – pads and discs last two to three times as long, but still need checking because of standing time and corrosion.

What stays or is new: tyres (more weight and instant torque cost 10–20 % of mileage), coolant and battery thermal management, high-voltage inspection, software updates (mostly over the air), 12/24 V electrics, air compressor and steering. Manufacturer service intervals are typically 100,000–120,000 km or once a year; the annual test and safety inspections run as for diesel.

Workshop: only qualified staff may work on high-voltage systems (HV-qualified technician, e.g. IMI TechSafe Level 3) – which makes the workshop network more important for operations than with diesel, and independent workshops can so far only take on the non-HV part. OEM service contracts for heavy e-trucks run at 8–11p/km by our market observation (estimate, full service without tyres) and are effectively mandatory; they belong in the offer and in the TCO calculation.

Battery: the warranties cover the core of the risk – Mercedes quotes ten years or 1.2 million km at a minimum of 80 % remaining capacity for the eActros 600, other manufacturers typically 6–8 years and 600,000–800,000 km at 70–80 %. For a 5–7 year holding period in long haul, a battery replacement is therefore not a cost factor; for the residual value afterwards, a documented battery state of health is the decisive argument.

The Chinese are coming – with price and megawatts

At IAA 2026 the Chinese makers moved from footnote to price anchor: Windrose delivers from Q3 2026 with EU type approval at €195k (about £168k), Sany has been delivering trucks in Germany since spring 2026 (service via Alltrucks, roughly 30 % below European OEMs), SuperPanther and Sinotruk assemble at Steyr in Austria; UK right-hand-drive availability and GB type approval need checking model by model. BYD (ETT 44, 1.5 MW charging) and Foton (1.44 MW) follow in 2027/2028. Open questions: residual value, parts and workshop network, and who is still around in five years – exactly the factors that decide the TCO calculator. For fleets it means European offers become negotiable.

Diesel reference

Actros L / TGX / FH 460–480 hp, long haul at 44 t: 26–30 l/100 km, purchase £95–115k ex VAT, residual value after 5 years and 600,000 km typically 25–35 %. With the new diesel drivelines from Daimler and MAN (IAA 2026) the current generation becomes the previous one – that affects residual value.