Europe’s Electric Truck Revolution Spurs 1.2 Billion kWh Energy Storage Demand

At the recently concluded 2025 International New Energy Industry Chain Marketing Summit*, Carl Magnus Norden, founder of Voita Trucks and Decade Energy and a 40-year veteran of Europe’s commercial vehicle industry, shared insights into the growth of Europe’s electric truck market and the vast opportunities in solar-storage-charging integration. He expressed strong confidence in China’s new energy market and extended an olive branch for collaboration with Chinese industry chains. Norden systematically unveiled Europe’s logistics energy storage market—an "untapped goldmine" exceeding 100 million kWh—and outlined how the sector is poised to reshape Europe’s energy landscape.

Electric Truck Adoption to Skyrocket, Driving Energy Network Overhaul

Norden noted that while only 2% of Europe’s 6.5 million trucks are currently electric, this figure is projected to surge to 95% by 2035. "The real challenge lies not in vehicle manufacturing, but in reconfiguring the energy network," he emphasized. Logistics centers alone will require 100–200 million kWh of energy storage capacity, equivalent to the annual output of 20 large nuclear reactors. "Each logistics hub is not just a major energy consumer but also a critical node in virtual power plants," he explained. By integrating solar-storage-charging systems with smart energy management software, these hubs can unlock triple value: charging fleets, balancing grid peaks, and trading renewable energy.

Having validated solutions with industry giants like Mercedes-Benz, Norden highlighted that a single electric truck’s 600 kWh battery capacity and logistics centers’ need to reserve 25%–50% of their power for charging demand—coupled with scaled energy storage systems—could redefine Europe’s energy map. He stressed that European logistics firms are already mandating supply chain decarbonization, with electrification upgrades for logistics centers alone expected to unlock a €100 billion market.

Pictured: The founder of Decade Energy delivered a keynote speech on business opportunities in the European optical storage and charging market

Pictured: The founder of Decade Energy delivered a keynote speech on business opportunities in the European optical storage and charging market

‘Made in China’ to Play Pivotal Role, Slashing Costs by 30%

Despite Europe’s aggressive policy targets (35% electric truck adoption by 2030), Norden acknowledged lagging progress: "High costs and lack of mass production are bottlenecks. However, Chinese manufacturers’ scaling capabilities could drive a 30% cost reduction within 18 months."

As a seasoned buyer in Europe, Norden underscored the potential of logistics centers as high-energy-consumption sites for solar-storage-charging integration. Beyond supporting electric truck charging, these hubs can leverage storage systems for grid regulation and energy trading. Deploying solar-powered charging stations, combined with proprietary software and data analytics, will enable smarter logistics operations.

Grid Stability First: Storage Systems as Foundation

To achieve these goals, Norden prioritized deploying energy storage to stabilize grids and boost electric truck adoption. "Widespread installation of high-power chargers will strain grids, so storage infrastructure must come first," he urged.

In Europe, logistics and transportation are central to modern urban development. Electrifying logistics hubs is not only critical to carbon neutrality but also driven by geopolitical shifts and energy independence demands. Building efficient, sustainable solar-storage-charging systems is thus an industry imperative and a catalyst for optimizing Europe’s energy matrix.

At the summit, Norden—a heavyweight buyer in Europe’s energy storage sector—not only outlined trends in electric trucks and storage but also voiced keen interest in China’s new energy market. Praising China’s leadership in technology, storage solutions, and supply chains, he called for deeper collaboration to advance integrated solar-storage-charging ecosystems globally.

Footnote:
The 2025 International New Energy Industry Marketing Summit and the inaugural release of the "2025 China New Energy Industry Chain Core Competitiveness White Paper" were successfully held on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at the Shenzhen Guangming Cloud Valley International Conference Center. Hosted by Yeehai Global—a client-renowned digital marketing agency specializing in overseas markets—and co-organized by its resource platform China Exportsemi, the summit aimed to provide Chinese new energy enterprises with global expansion guidance, foster business collaboration platforms, and facilitate discussions on cutting-edge trends and commercial opportunities in the global new energy industry.