Electric mobility 2026: strategic directions for fleet management

Electric mobility in logistics is gaining momentum. The current market environment is placing greater demands on companies than ever before: rising CO₂ prices, strict regulations, and growing pressure from clients to be more sustainable are noticeably changing the scope of action for fleet operators.

The leverage for climate protection is particularly great here, as heavy commercial vehicles account for over a third of CO₂ emissions in road traffic, even though they make up less than 8% of the fleet. The technology is ready for use and market momentum is growing: by 2035, the number of electric trucks in Europe is expected to rise to 350,000 vehicles.

However, converting a fleet involves much more than simply replacing vehicles. Only the interaction of infrastructure, energy availability, and depot management creates the foundation for economical operation. In the following, we will look at the key areas of action for this transformation process.

Economic framework: cost pressure as a driver of transformation

The economic framework for road haulage is developing a new dynamic in 2026. While fossil-fuelled drives are becoming more expensive due to regulatory measures, electric mobility is gaining predictability:

• Carbon pricing and GHG quotas: With a CO₂ price of €65 per tonne in the future, the burden on diesel fleets will increase. At the same time, the GHG quota, which has been increased to 12%, is acting as a strong refinancing driver: it indirectly makes fossil fuels more expensive, but generates attractive annual premium revenues for electric trucks.
• Toll competitive advantage: The toll exemption for zero-emission HGVs, which applies until mid-2031, remains one of the strongest economic levers for the deployment of electric commercial vehicles.
• Tax incentives: The continued vehicle tax exemption and the 0.25% benefit-in-kind tax rule for electric company cars ensure that electromobility remains attractive across various vehicle classes.

Infrastructure and energy: the depot as the new operational base

With the market ramp-up of electric commercial vehicles, operational priority is shifting to charging infrastructure. Integrating charging processes into logistics chains at an early stage ensures fleet availability.

• Depot charging as a success factor: Private charging infrastructure determines scalability and punctuality. Intelligent charging management is essential here to use grid connections efficiently and avoid peak loads.
• Reliability through AFIR: The implementation of the European Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) improves planning certainty for long-distance transport through mandatory standards along main traffic axes.
• Sector coupling: The solar PV mandate for new commercial buildings and renovated properties with more than 250 m² of usable space makes energy management an integral part of fleet operations. Utilising self-generated electricity sustainably reduces operating costs.
• Dynamic electricity tariffs: Using a dynamic electricity tariff offers additional scope for cost optimisation. Companies that flexibly schedule their charging processes during periods of high grid availability of renewable energies can further reduce their total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to fixed tariffs.
• Bidirectional charging (V2G): While V2G applications in the public grid are still under development, the first use cases are already emerging in depots. Here, vehicle batteries can be used in the future as flexible energy storage devices for peak load capping and grid relief. V2G is therefore a strategic topic for the future and should already be taken into account today in the planning of charging infrastructure and energy management.

Digitalisation: process control in a complex world

Digital systems will be the backbone of e-logistics in 2026. While manual processes still work for individual access points, the scaled control of load conditions, network capacities, and energy prices requires automated, data-driven planning.

• Transparent billing: New requirements for home charging of company cars demand precise documentation based on metered consumption. This increases data processing requirements but simultaneously enables precise cost control.
• Integrated systems: Digital tools allow vehicles, charging stations and energy flows to be managed as a single unit, thereby minimising operational overheads. Intelligent charging management, for example, controls vehicles, charging stations, and energy flows as a single unit. Automated distribution of available grid power avoids expensive peak loads and prioritises charging processes in line with route planning. The integration of dynamic electricity tariffs and in-house PV generation also reduces energy costs and ensures maximum fleet availability.

Sustainability as a strategic goal

Electric mobility is the central instrument for significantly improving the carbon footprint in transport logistics. Depending on the duty cycle and energy mix, electric commercial vehicles can reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 34% to 69% compared to diesel vehicles. Under favourable conditions with a high proportion of renewable energy, life-cycle analyses even show savings potential of over 90% (MDPI). This not only ensures compliance with regulatory targets but also strengthens competitive positioning, as clients increasingly demand low-emission supply chains.

Outlook: electric mobility in 2026 beyond transport and logistics

Beyond transport and logistics, electric mobility continues to gain momentum in 2026. In Germany, around 19 per cent of new passenger car registrations in 2025 were battery-electric vehicles. For 2026, market observers expect this figure to rise to around 25 per cent.

At the same time, charging infrastructure is expanding rapidly. Europe had around 1.2 million public charging points at the end of 2025, with particularly strong growth in fast-charging systems. According to the International Energy Agency, the global number of charging points will need to exceed 15 million by 2030 to keep pace with the growing electric vehicle fleet.

Integration of electric mobility into the energy system is also gaining importance. Bidirectional charging, dynamic electricity tariffs and the coupling of vehicles with photovoltaic and storage systems are becoming increasingly relevant.

Conclusion: electric mobility as an operational standard

In 2026, electric mobility is an established part of everyday logistics operations. The decision to adopt electric drives is now driven by clear commercial and strategic logic. 

Companies that take a structured approach to the transition towards networked and sustainable systems are laying the foundation for a future-proof operation.

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