DSV Road: Romania is starting to prepare for the use of electric trucks

By 2030, Romania will be ready to use electric trucks for the transport of goods at the national level, not just at the local level. In this sense, 30% of the transport of goods in Romania can be done with the help of electric trucks in the next seven years, according to the estimates of DSV Road, the third largest freight transport company in Europe. Thus, the company’s representatives estimate that 3 out of 10 trucks for the cargo transport activity in Romania will be electric trucks once investments are made in the implementation of charging stations in logistics centers.

“Romania is still not fully prepared for the use of electric trucks for the transport of goods, but it has started to take steps in this direction, following the trend in Europe. Now, there are no big differences between our country and other European countries in terms of electric trucks, following the pace of international adaptation. In fact, nowhere in the world is transport with electric trucks developed yet, in the context in which the autonomy of an electric truck is currently 200-500 km. From this point of view, electric trucks cannot be used for long distances, for international transport, but only for distribution, for short distances”, says Mihai Teodorescu, Country General Manager, and Sustainability Ambassador within DSV Road.

According to DSV Road data, electric trucks are already used in Romania for transporting goods over short distances, generally in cities or between counties. Currently, an electric truck can travel up to 10,000 km per month, compared to 12,000-14,000 km per month for a truck that uses fossil fuel.

Warehouses, strategic places in the network of electric truck charging stations

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The charging time at a fast-charging station is 90 minutes for an electric truck, and at a regular 380V charging station the charging time is 12 hours. Moreover, currently, electric trucks are charged at dedicated stations, but soon a complete charging system could be developed at key points of a truck’s route. Thus, warehouses could become the main charging points for electric trucks in Romania, according to DSV Road representatives.

“In the near future, charging stations can be installed both in warehouses and in transporters’ garages. The most efficient option for charging electric trucks remains the period of their stationing in warehouses during the unloading/loading of goods, and an option for full charging of electric vehicles is when they arrive at the base, options that will allow the continuous use of trucks for 8 hours”, believes Mihai Teodorescu, Country General Manager, and Sustainability Ambassador within DSV Road.

The use of electric trucks for the transport of goods is part of the plan to reduce the carbon footprint by 30% by 2030, according to EU regulations, which all member countries are obliged to implement.

Currently, however, the most effective method of reducing the amount of CO2 regarding the transport of goods is the use of long-distance rail transport, complemented by the use of electric trucks in the last stage of the goods delivery route.

To align with EU regulations, DSV Road has implemented a strategic plan to reduce pollution, based on four main pillars:

● carbon footprint measurement – DSV Road measures the amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated by the amount of goods transported by companies, through the most advanced application for monitoring the amount of CO2 emitted by the transport of goods, the CO2 Reporting Tool; following the analysis, the company issues green certificates for companies

● reorganizing and optimizing the business and supply chain for companies to use the right transport and shorter routes to reduce fuel consumption and consequently the amount of carbon dioxide emissions

● offering a suitable fuel mix to reduce the carbon footprint – for example, biofuel can be used instead of fossil fuel for the transport of goods between Romania and European countries

● investing in actions to protect the environment to offset the CO2 effect – the company’s clients can financially support projects to reduce the carbon footprint

Also, DSV Road plans to develop the Green Transport division, estimating, by the end of the year, a doubling of the demand for green transport solutions in Romania compared to 2022.

At the level of the DSV group, a financing fund with a total value of 1 billion Danish kroner (over 134 million euros) is available, from which investments can be attracted in ESG, CO2 reduction, and environmental protection programs in Romania.

Romania is one of the most important markets in the region for the Danish group DSV, present locally for almost 30 years. Thus, for 2023, the DSV Road company expects a 10% increase in business, after last year it recorded a turnover of 70 million euros, 40% higher than in 2021, due to the increase in the number of customers and demand for all types of transport, especially groupage and intermodal.