
Under current policy environments and cost control requirements, an increasing number of freight companies are considering transitioning to electric heavy-duty trucks. However, simply purchasing electric trucks doesn't guarantee operational success—the key lies in efficient fleet management and strategic planning. Electric truck operations involve not just vehicle performance but also require careful consideration of charging infrastructure layout and management capabilities to maximize economic benefits.
Operators must first conduct thorough economic calculations. Simply put, impulsive decisions to purchase electric trucks may lead to financial difficulties. In cities with concentrated electric truck deployments, while numbers continue to grow, many operators still apply traditional fuel truck thinking, failing to leverage the advantages of electric vehicles. This results in insufficient profitability and even operational shutdowns—primarily due to operators' incomplete understanding of electric truck business models and cost structures.
For instance, operators need to determine how many electric trucks to purchase and how to properly match battery capacity to operational needs. Consider a transportation scenario: A company needs to transport goods from point A to point B, a one-way distance of 800 kilometers, with annual transport volume of 200,000 cubic meters over 300 working days. Each trip requires approximately 6 hours. Using electric trucks equipped with 350kWh batteries and assuming energy consumption of 1.4kWh/km, each charge provides about 200 kilometers of range, with each truck having a capacity of 140 cubic meters.
In this case, simply calculating the number of required vehicles isn't enough to form an efficient logistics chain. For example: About five truckloads need to depart each workday, but considering round-trip travel and charging time, the actual number of vehicles required far exceeds five. Numerous operational and cost-related factors must also be considered.
Beyond vehicle selection and operation, charging station layout requires meticulous planning. Decisions about location, construction scale, and equipment configuration directly impact operational efficiency and costs. Poor location choices lead to inefficiency, while insufficient scale results in charging queues that reduce operational effectiveness. Correspondingly, excessively high operating costs may render the business unprofitable. Partnering with third-party operators also brings risks of service instability and uncertain costs.
With China advancing reforms in new energy electricity pricing, electric truck charging station operators face new challenges. If charging stations lack sufficient vehicles, their electricity transaction volumes will significantly decrease, impacting revenue.
The greatest advantage of electric truck operations lies in their strong predictability, allowing operators to make relatively accurate power estimates and charging arrangements based on known transport tasks. This provides charging stations with stable charging demand. Such cooperation creates a win-win situation between electric truck operators and charging station operators in the context of electricity marketization—operators gain lower charging costs while charging stations secure stable demand, jointly promoting development of the electric truck market.
Ultimately, the future development of electric trucks will depend on close cooperation between fleet operators and charging station operators, forming a virtuous cycle between "vehicles" and "power." Only through deep collaboration can both parties achieve long-term sustainable development. Therefore, before entering the electric truck market, operators must possess comprehensive understanding and capability in both vehicle and charging infrastructure management to establish a solid foundation for fleet success.