Zero-emission trucks in Africa

Battery electric trucks are the primary focus of TAG's work in this area because there is a strong and credible evidence base supporting them as the leading zero-emissions solution for road freight.

Historically, electric trucks were often seen mainly as urban, short-haul, or last-mile vehicles. That framing is now too narrow. In practice, some of the strongest commercial and environmental logic emerges in longer-distance, high-utilisation operations, where vehicles travel high monthly kilometres, the higher capital cost can be amortised more effectively, and the energy-cost advantage can accumulate most strongly over time.

The practical question is therefore not whether battery electric trucks matter, but under what operating conditions they create the greatest value. That depends on the relationship between route profile, duty cycle, battery size, monthly kilometres travelled, charging pathway, and service requirements. It also depends on whether direct charging or battery swapping better protects uptime, turnaround performance, and delivery-slot adherence.

TAG's role is to help frame these questions properly and support the operational and commercial logic needed to make electric truck deployment more competitive, more reliable, and more effective in real freight conditions.