Irish hauliers considering electric trucks need to assess their depot’s electricity supply alongside vehicle range, payload and purchase price. A truck may suit the work, but the investment depends on being able to charge it reliably before its next departure.

The issue is gaining attention in Brussels. In an announcement on 23 October, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) warned that operators in some EU countries are ready to electrify their depots but cannot secure sufficient grid capacity or timely connections.

IRU is calling for clearer expectations on electricity network capacity, permitting and connection timelines, alongside affordable energy and accessible finance.

Start with the work the truck must do

For a haulage business, the first question is how much energy each vehicle will need between charging opportunities—and how long it will remain parked.

A truck returning to base for an extended overnight stop presents a different charging requirement from one working successive shifts with a short turnaround.

SEAI advises businesses to examine journey patterns, operating schedules, payload requirements and seasonal variations before selecting electric vehicles. Its fleet guidance also recommends planning charging infrastructure around future expansion.

That assessment should bring the transport manager, vehicle supplier and electrical designer into the same conversation. The charging plan needs to reflect actual departure times, including busy periods and late returns.

Charger output is only part of the calculation

Installing a powerful charger does not, by itself, establish that a depot can supply it.

The assessment must account for the site’s existing electricity demand, available connection capacity and the number of vehicles likely to charge together.

SEAI highlights Maximum Import Capacity—the agreed capacity of the electricity connection—as an important consideration when planning fleet charging. Increasing it may also affect ongoing site costs.

As a simple illustration, four chargers each delivering 100kW simultaneously would provide 400kW to vehicles. The electricity supply would also need to cover charging losses and other depot demand. This is an illustration, rather than a specification for a particular fleet.

The critical question is whether every truck needs that output at the same time.

Managed charging can reduce peak demand

SEAI recommends considering load-balancing software where simultaneous vehicle charging risks exceeding a site’s connection capacity. Charging can be scheduled around vehicle requirements and available power.

For hauliers, that means prioritising trucks with earlier departures while allowing others to charge later. However, the plan must still work when vehicles return behind schedule or require more energy than expected.

A charging arrangement that works only on an ideal operating day leaves little room for disruption.

Europe’s delays are a warning to plan early

IRU EU Director Raluca Marian said connection times vary substantially between countries, citing eight months in France and potentially years in the Netherlands, where capacity may be unavailable.

Those examples are not Irish connection-time estimates. They underline the importance of establishing a site-specific timetable before committing to vehicle delivery dates.

IRU’s proposed “AFIR for grids” would set clearer expectations for network capacity and connections. It remains an industry demand, rather than an agreed new requirement.

Irish operators should establish the capacity available at their premises, the work needed to support charging, its cost and the expected completion date. ESB Networks provides the electricity network connection; the charging installation and its operation are separate responsibilities.

The business case should therefore include the truck, chargers, electrical works, connection costs and electricity tariff.

Before agreeing a delivery date, the operator needs a credible answer to one practical question: will the depot be ready to charge the truck when it arrives?