Belgian transport company EUTRACO aims for fully electric fleet by 2035
Belgian transport company Eutraco has received the first four of a total of fifty electric trucks, marking the start of its transition towards a fully electric fleet by 2035. The handover took place at the Ghistelinck Autobedrijven site in Menen on Tuesday, in the presence of CEO Serge Gregoir.
Commitment to sustainability
The company is fully committed to reducing emissions. "The eActros 600 models fit perfectly into our daily operations thanks to a range of 500 kilometres, smart charging planning, and charging infrastructure at our own sites," says CEO Gregoir. Charging stations are being rolled out at logistics campuses in Roeselare, Ghent and Willebroek. "Sustainability shouldn't be an added cost," Gregoir adds. "With smart choices and technology, we can simultaneously become more efficient and responsible, without passing on the initial purchase cost to the customer."
Eutraco’s investment comes as the European freight sector faces mounting pressure to cut emissions. Road transport is one of the few sectors where CO₂ emissions have continued to rise, with heavy-duty trucks accounting for over a quarter of Belgium’s transport emissions. From 2027, the EU will expand its emissions trading system (ETS2) to cover transport, and new trucks sold must emit 45 per cent less CO₂ by 2030 compared with 2019.
Yet the shift is far from straightforward. Barely 4 per cent of newly registered trucks in Europe currently run on emission-free drivetrains, mainly because of high purchase prices, limited supply, and a lack of charging infrastructure.
Experts, however, see battery-electric trucks as the most viable near-term option, consuming up to three times less energy per kilometre than diesel and cutting lifecycle emissions by around 60 per cent. With production volumes set to rise and battery costs falling, analysts expect zero-emission trucks to make up as much as 50 to 60 per cent of the market by 2035.
Belgium's charging advantage
Belgium, meanwhile, has quietly become one of Europe’s leaders in charging infrastructure. Thanks mainly to company cars and supportive policies, the country recently passed the milestone of 100,000 public charging points for electric vehicles, placing it behind only the Netherlands and Denmark in the EU on a per capita basis.
Most of these are standard charging stations, but Flanders in particular has ensured a dense network, with a fast charger available at least every 60 kilometres along major roads. This rapid growth suggests that, unlike in many parts of Europe, charging infrastructure should not be the main barrier to electrification for Belgian transport firms.
Against that backdrop, Eutraco is positioning itself among the first Belgian companies to move beyond pilot projects. Ghistelinck Autobedrijven will deliver the trucks in phases over the coming months and provide technical support. By the end of 2025, 25 per cent of the fleet will be electric, representing a 14 million euro investment.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO BODO SCHACKOW / DPA
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