Manufacturer-neutral · DACH 2026
The Electric Truck Feasibility Index
Which long-haul route can an electric truck really do today — without recharging, with one charging stop, or not (yet) at all? This index computes the main DACH corridors physically for four vehicle classes, summer and winter, and matches every required charging stop against the real public HGV charging network.
| Corridor | km | Tractor 40 t | Regional rig | Rigid 26 t | Rigid 12–18 t |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburg → München | 775 | 2 stops | 2 stops | 3 stops | 3 stops |
| Bremen → Dortmund | 235 | no recharge | no recharge | no recharge | no recharge |
| Bremen → München | 750 | 2 stops | 2 stops | 2 stops | 2 stops |
| Hamburg → Berlin | 290 | no recharge | no recharge | tight | tight |
| Frankfurt → Hamburg | 490 | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop |
| Berlin → Köln | 575 | 1 stop | 1 stop | 2 stops | 2 stops |
| Stuttgart → Berlin | 630 | 1 stop | 2 stops | 2 stops | 2 stops |
| Duisburg → München | 600 | 1 stop | 2 stops | 2 stops | 2 stops |
| Hannover → Nürnberg | 470 | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop |
| Leipzig → Frankfurt | 390 | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop |
| Rotterdam → Duisburg | 230 | no recharge | no recharge | no recharge | no recharge |
| München → Verona ⛰ | 435 | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop |
| Wien → München | 435 | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop |
| Zürich → Frankfurt | 410 | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop | 1 stop |
Classes representative of models available in 2026 (manufacturer-neutral averages). Assumptions stated: depot full (100%), arrival reserve 10%, public charging 10→80%; first leg 100→10%, further legs 80→10%. Winter −10 °C = +27% consumption, alpine profile a further +8%. Charging stops matched against our curated Milence/Aral pulse network (≤ 40 km corridor, no position/occupancy check). A rough indication for the purchase decision — the tour-exact check with elevation is the full simulation.
All corridors in detail
Hamburg → München
775 kmThe classic north–south long-haul axis (A7). The hardest test for battery-electric long-haul.
Bremen → Dortmund
235 kmBremen into the Ruhr area — a plannable relation, the ideal entry scenario for hauliers.
Bremen → München
750 kmA long north–south relation from Bremen — only viable electrically with public en-route charging.
Hamburg → Berlin
290 kmA dense, flat relation (A24) — feasible for tractor units mostly without recharging.
Frankfurt → Hamburg
490 kmRhine-Main to the north (A5/A7) — borderline for a single charging stop.
Berlin → Köln
575 kmEast–west axis (A2) with a dense build-out of charging parks along the route.
Stuttgart → Berlin
630 kmSouth-west to north-east — a long relation needing one to two charging stops.
Duisburg → München
600 kmFrom Europe's largest inland port to the south — a typical long-distance run.
Hannover → Nürnberg
470 kmCentral A7 relation, comfortably doable with a single charging stop.
Leipzig → Frankfurt
390 kmCentral Germany into the Rhine-Main region — at the edge of single-charge range.
Rotterdam → Duisburg
230 kmEurope's most important import corridor — a short, high-frequency port–hinterland relation.
München → Verona
435 kmAcross the Brenner into Italy — an alpine profile, the most demanding cross-border corridor.
Wien → München
435 kmThe Danube axis (A1/A8) — cross-border AT–DE, doable with one charging stop.
Zürich → Frankfurt
410 kmSwitzerland into the Rhine-Main region (A5) — the LSVA toll makes e-trucks especially attractive here.
Frequently asked
Is long-haul feasible with electric trucks in 2026?
Regional relations up to around 350 km are feasible year-round without recharging for today's electric tractors (e.g. Mercedes eActros 600, Volvo FH Aero Electric). Longer long-haul corridors like Hamburg–Munich are electrically viable with one to two public charging stops at Milence or Aral pulse hubs — in winter with about 27% higher consumption.
How many charging stops does an electric truck need on Hamburg–Munich?
An electric tractor with roughly 500 kWh of usable battery needs about two public charging stops on the 775 km Hamburg–Munich run in the full-year average. With realistic 10→80% fast charging a stop takes about 60 to 100 minutes depending on charging power.
How does the feasibility index calculate?
For each corridor and vehicle class the energy demand is computed from road distance, class-specific real-world consumption and a season factor (summer, full year, winter −10 °C) and compared against the usable battery energy minus a 10% arrival reserve. If that is not enough, the model checks whether enough public HGV charging parks lie within a 40 km corridor. It is a robust indication for the purchase decision, not operational route planning.
Does this apply to Austria and Switzerland too?
Yes. The index includes cross-border corridors such as Vienna–Munich, Zurich–Frankfurt and the Brenner corridor Munich–Verona. In Switzerland in particular the LSVA exemption makes e-trucks especially attractive commercially.
Check your own relation
Two addresses are enough — with elevation, payload and the winter worst-case.