Wednesday, November 5th, 2025
On 29 August 2025, ALICE Thematic Group 1 (Efficient and Low Emission Assets and Energy) hosted an exclusive member workshop on DHL’s experience with Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs). The session provided deep insight into the potential role of this vehicle technology in supporting Europe’s heavy-duty road transport decarbonisation goals.
EREVs-battery-electric trucks with an onboard range-extending generator- offer a solution to contends with persistent infrastructure, regulatory, and operational barriers to full electrification. The featured DHL–Scania prototype, deployed between Hamburg and Berlin, operated over 91% of the time on grid-charged electricity, delivering a 90% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to a conventional diesel truck.
DHL presented its dual-track strategy for carbon reduction: pursuing full electrification where feasible, while relying on low-emission alternatives where infrastructure or operational realities remain limiting. The company has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, with interim goals for 2030 including a 30% share of sustainable fuels and 66% electrification of pickup and delivery vehicles globally.
As of mid-2025, DHL operates over 120,000 vehicles, including more than 42,000 electric units. Yet, the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), especially for long-haul transport, remains constrained. These challenges are compounded by grid capacity shortfalls, seasonal variation in energy efficiency, and the high upfront and operating costs of electric HDVs.
The EREV developed with Scania bridges a key gap. While maintaining full battery-electric operation for routine conditions, it includes a small generator that recharges the battery when needed. This ensures route completion even under grid or weather limitations. With a 416 kWh battery, 230 kW motor, and an extended range of up to 800 km, the vehicle offers a high degree of operational flexibility- without compromising cargo capacity or delivery schedules.
The pilot demonstrated not only technical feasibility but strategic advantages: reduced pressure on grid infrastructure, improved depot space utilisation, and increased resilience during energy supply disruptions.
Despite these benefits, the EREV benefits remains unrecognised under key EU frameworks. Under the current Eurovignette Directive, it falls into Emission Class 1- the highest toll category- due to lack of VECTO certification, even though it delivers near-zero emissions in operation.
DHL advocates for the introduction of a proportional emissions class that reflects real-world performance (e.g. 90% CO₂ reduction = 90% toll discount). Moreover, recognising serial hybrid vehicles within VECTO is essential to enable fair tolling and count emissions reductions toward OEM fleet averages under HDV CO₂ standards.
The workshop concluded with an open discussion among ALICE members. Topics ranged from fuel alternatives (e.g. HVO compatibility), cost competitiveness, modelling workarounds in VECTO, and the importance of operational resilience. Several participants expressed interest in how EREVs might complement other EU-funded initiatives (e.g. FLEXMCS, ZEFES, CLEVER, MACBETH) focused on infrastructure readiness and multi-stakeholder coordination.
As part of the follow-up, ALICE and DHL will share a summary report, detailed Q&A notes, and a feedback form to gather member positions on the inclusion of transitional vehicle technologies within ALICE’s broader decarbonisation roadmap.
During the session, ALICE collected member feedback through a live Slido poll on whether the network should support the adoption of Extended-Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs). The results reflected a cautiously optimistic outlook. Two-thirds of respondents expressed positive views – evenly split between those who believe ALICE should actively support EREVs and those in favour of conditional support depending on policy and performance criteria. Around one-quarter expressed reservations, citing concerns about technology maturity, fuel dependency, and long-term compatibility with full electrification targets. No participants were undecided, signalling strong engagement and informed opinions within the community.
The full workshop report, including detailed figures, policy recommendations, and a complete record of the discussion, is available exclusively to ALICE members via the Knowledge Platform.