Charging, payload, driver hours and why the first lanes to electrify were not the ones we expected.
We expected short urban routes to go electric first. It turned out the best candidates were the repeatable 300-kilometre shuttles between our own hubs, where we control both ends and can charge at a predictable hour.
Payload penalty is real but smaller than the headlines: about 1.4 tonnes on a 40-tonne combination. For most of our freight, which cubes out long before it weighs out, no customer noticed.
The surprise was drivers. Retention on electric shuttle lanes is 22 points higher. Cabs are quieter, schedules are tighter, and nobody sleeps in a lay-by waiting for a loading slot. Cleaner freight turned out to be better work.