On 16 October 2024, the x-bionic® sphere in Šamorín hosted an important meeting of the e-mobility community – the largest Slovak conference dedicated to electromobility, eFleet Day 2024 Truck&Bus&Van. It brought together dozens of experts from the transport, logistics and energy sectors. The aim of the event was to discuss the latest trends and challenges related to the electrification of truck and bus transport. In particular, the conference focused on the advantages of emission-free transport, optimising charging costs and experiences from abroad.
“The electrification of freight transport is not only an ecological necessity, but also an opportunity to reduce operating costs and increase efficiency,” said Patrik Križanský, Director of the Slovak Association for Electromobility (SEVA), which together with the MojElektromobil.sk portal organised the event, in his opening speech. “In Slovakia, more than 60% of freight transport is carried out over short distances, which makes electric trucks an ideal choice today,” says Križanský.
The conference showed real-world examples of electric truck implementation and provided practical advice for cities and companies considering a switch to zero-emission transport. Several speakers stressed that one of the keys to the success of electro-mobility is the development of charging infrastructure, especially in logistics and distribution centres. “Our priority is to create conditions for building private charging stations in depots and the headquarters of companies and institutions,” Križanský said, adding, “It is essential that the infrastructure is compatible and supported by EU funds and other public resources, otherwise serious problems may arise in the transition to zero-emission transport.” Michal Chabada, founder of MojElektromobil.sk, said after the event: “The conference once again brought a lot of useful information and we already know from the reactions of the participants that today’s topics really resonated and presented practical solutions for the future of electromobility in freight, commercial and bus transport.”
The eFleet Day 2024 Truck&Bus&Van conference programme consisted of lectures, expert presentations and panel discussions, with topics focusing on current trends in the electrification of truck and bus transport, challenges in the transition to zero-emission fleets, building charging infrastructure and experiences of implementing these solutions in practice. Discussions provided practical advice, while presentations showcased a number of innovative solutions from major players in the electromobility sector.
Katarína Dobišová from Nestlé Slovakia spoke during the programme about her company’s concrete experience with an electric tractor trailer pilot project in the Czech Republic. “At Nestlé, we see the decarbonisation of our fleet as a social responsibility, which is why we strive to implement sustainable solutions. We tested an electric tractor for transport between the production plant, distribution centre and customers, and found that electromobility in logistics is possible despite challenges such as higher costs and limited range. When we recalculated the total cost of ownership (TCO), we arrived at an increase of only 13%, which is an encouraging result given the expected decline in vehicle purchase prices.”
Rastislav Žembery of ZSE Drive focused on the challenges and opportunities in building charging infrastructure: “In the freight segment, charging time reservations will be essential. We are working on making charging in this segment bookable for a specific customer and blocking it for others. However, our primary goal is to provide companies with comprehensive solutions for the electrification of transport, including consulting, installation of charging infrastructure and optimisation of energy costs – both for passenger and heavy commercial vehicles,” explained Žembery.
Other experts also joined in the discussion, with Peter Badik of GreenWay, for example, pointing out the challenges of planning: ‘For me, this is the biggest challenge. Projects in the eHDV segment have to deliver really high performance. Therefore, it is essential that logistics companies and cities start planning well in advance and communicate their needs to us as charging infrastructure operators.” Tomáš Kuník of ejoin added another perspective when he criticised the complex legislative processes involved in the construction of charging stations, “In Slovakia, the rules are not simplifying, quite the opposite. Since last year, a building permit has been required for the construction of charging stations, which significantly complicates and prolongs the entire construction process.”
Peter Hofierka of Voltia debunked several myths about electric vehicles. “There are three main hoaxes: the first is that they are only suitable for short routes in cities, the second is that electric cars are expensive and not economically viable to operate, and the third is that battery technology is not advanced enough and batteries wear out quickly. But we have satisfied customers who drive 60, 70 or 80 000 kilometres a year in electric cars. And it’s at these mileages that the economics of an electric car are really advantageous,” explained Hofierka. The discussion on electric fleets continued with Martin Kubányi from No Limit Logistics, who discussed the specifics of switching to electric transport in hilly and mountainous areas. “This year we are expanding more into the regions, which means we will face new challenges such as difficult winter conditions in mountainous areas. In Poland, where we have already started electrification, the landscape is not so mountainous, so the experience from there was not completely applicable to Slovak conditions,” Kubányi said.
This was followed by presentations by representatives of individual manufacturers. Jakub Palkovič from Mercedes-Benz Slovakia presented an electric version of the Vito: “It is available in both a cargo van version and a passenger version. Inside, you will find a large central display with many digital extras. The vehicle has navigation with electric intelligence, which plans the route according to the current traffic and schedules the most efficient charging if necessary.” Ján Šulek of Mercedes-Benz Truck , for his part, presented the brand’s successes in the truck segment: “The latest news that we are very pleased about is the first order from a Slovak customer for the eActros 600. So we also have such adventurous customers, and the less adventurous ones can test drive it right here at the conference.”
The expert programme also included a discussion on ESG targets and the uptake of EU funds. Gabriela Bizonova from ČSOB Leasing stressed the need to get to know your own company well first when discussing ESG: “This is the main challenge for companies, to get to know all the risks and opportunities so that the company can develop further. This potential is also found in electromobility, which can provide new opportunities for carriers.” Miroslava Černeková, Euro funds specialist at ČSOB Leasing, added: “When a project or investment is made from public funds, it is important to realise that it is not an easy process. It can take several months or even more than a year from the submission of an application to the approval and disbursement of funds.”
The discussion on electric buses at the eFleet Day 2024 Truck&Bus&Van conference focused on the challenges of putting them into practice. Pavel Kuch from MAN Truck & Bus pointed out, “We can’t just replace every diesel bus with an electric one. We need to think a bit more.” He stressed that planning for charging infrastructure and battery life is key to the successful integration of electric buses. Michal Dekánek of Transport Company Bratislava pointed to the challenges in the capital, where the large size of the city requires buses to be charged during the day, as their mileage reaches four to five hundred kilometres. Juraj Ďuratný of D-Tax stressed the importance of the legislative changes, “As of 1 January 2025, a change is coming that will reduce an employee’s non-monetary income when using an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid from one percent to half a percent.” This change should further encourage the development of electromobility in public transport as well.
Erik Brinkáč from Global Payments presented modern solutions for charging electric vehicles via payment terminals and stressed the importance of secure and simple payment systems for the development of electromobility. The Global Payments system offers a universal solution that supports card payments, which according to Brinkáč is preferred by up to eighty-two percent of customers. “People don’t want to have additional cards or apps, they want to pay with what they already have,” he explained. The conference programme was closed by Simona Kalinovská, managing director of 3MON, who focused on topics related to safety and fire prevention in the field of electromobility. She stressed the need for a balanced approach to safety measures when using electric vehicles to ensure that not only property but also lives are protected.
Award for electro-mobility friendly companies – SEVA ELF
At the eFleetDay conference, we also recognised a number of companies that were awarded the prestigious SEVA ELF certificate for their significant contribution to fleet electrification and emissions reduction in Q3 2024.
Among the awardees were EUCOS s.r.o., represented at the event by External Affairs Manager Martin Klus, and ČSOB Finančná grupa, for which the award was accepted by Miroslava Gabrišková, Director of Asset Management and Purchasing. The certificate was also received by Tomáš Osuský, CEO of HOLLEN s.r.o., as well as Matúš Sabo, Key Account Manager for the Czech Republic and Slovakia from Ekoenergetyka Polska S.A. Matúš Jenčík was present for Siemens and Scania Slovakia was represented by Marcel Demský, E-mobility Infrastructure Manager CER.
Among the awarded companies were also Z-izol s.r.o. and AstraZeneca AB o.z. all of these companies have demonstrated their commitment to innovations that support the development of electro-mobility and sustainable mobility in Slovakia.
As Michal Chabada stressed at the end of the eFleet Day 2024 Truck&Bus&Van conference, the importance of long-term and well-thought-out planning in the field of electromobility is crucial: “To achieve a real transformation in transport, we need to start investing in technology and infrastructure today. This will pay us back not only in reduced emissions, but also in a more efficient and cheaper transport system for all.”