At Maganetti, we have been replacing diesel-powered vehicles in our owned fleet with LNG-fuelled trucks for several years, using carbon-negative certified biomethane produced from livestock effluents and agricultural waste. Achieving the goal of zero emissions, however, requires considering every available technological solution, both in terms of vehicles and the organisation of routes and loads. With this in mind, together with Levissima we have launched a pilot project using an electric truck, while also assessing further trials on longer-distance routes. At the same time, we continue to closely monitor technological developments in alternative fuels, including hydrogen.
An interesting comparison between the different solutions is provided by a study carried out by ENEA and the University of Tuscia, which compared the total cost of ownership of commercial vehicles powered by different technologies: diesel, hydrogen internal combustion engines, battery electric and fuel cell electric powertrains. The analysis covered vehicle weight classes from 3.5 tonnes upwards and operating ranges between 100 and 700 kilometres.
The researchers stress that further investigation and analysis are needed, but the initial findings are interesting: on routes exceeding 300 kilometres and for vehicles weighing up to 18 tonnes, battery electric vehicles are more energy-efficient than fuel cell electric vehicles. However, they lose ground in terms of payload capacity – and consequently cost per kilometre – precisely because they require large battery packs. Variable-power fuel cell vehicles use the smallest batteries, while even constant-power fuel cell configurations retain an advantage over battery electric vehicles in terms of both space and weight.
Each solution still presents its own challenges, whether battery range and charging times for electric vehicles or the limited availability of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. Nevertheless, data and analysis provide a valuable starting point for assessing the most effective strategies on the path towards zero emissions. It is also important to remember that technological progress across all these solutions continues at pace.
What is beyond doubt is that the decarbonisation of freight transport is essential to tackling climate change. According to estimates from the European Environment Agency, analysed by ENEA and the University of Tuscia, the transport sector accounted for almost one third of total greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union in 2023, with road transport remaining the primary mode of freight movement.
