Accelerating the electrification of trucks is critical if Europe is to meet its target of a 24% reduction in emissions by 2030. Road transport represents 22% of CO2 emissions in Europe, of which trucks and vans stand for about half, roughly 10%. Significant progress has been made in electrifying buses, with 27% of the fleet now electric, and in the car market, where 14% of new car sales in 2023 were electric. However, only 2% of the European truck fleet comes under this zero-emission category. Given that trucks and vans are responsible for around half of all road transport emissions, transitioning to electric trucks is essential.
Decade Energy, a French startup, provides logistics companies with holistic, reliable, and cost-efficient solutions that enable the electrification of commercial electric vehicle fleets.
Electrification of logistics fleets
Today, Decade Energy has raised €3.6 million in seed funding led by Ananda Impact Ventures (which invested in Ovom Care, Resourcify and Resistomap) and Contrarian Ventures. It will use the funding to accelerate the decarbonisation of logistics fleets. This is possible by simplifying the transition to electric vehicles (EV) and making them cost-competitive compared to diesel.
“A key driver for our investment in Decade Energy is the team’s strong experience in helping fleets electrify. Having conducted over 500 depot assessments for all the leading logistics companies across Europe, we feel that the team behind Decade Energy understands what’s missing for the transition to happen for commercial fleets. Combine this with their refined vision and strong network in the industry, and you get a company that can have an impact on the decarbonisation of logistics,” said Florian Erber, Founding Partner at Ananda Impact Ventures.
“Decade Energy addresses the large and rapidly growing market of distribution traffic electrification that needs innovative solutions and technology providers like Decade Energy if we are to meet our climate targets. The team’s focus on and experience of servicing the segment that will be the first to be disrupted, is one of many strengths that influenced our decision to partner with the company,” added Tomas Kemtys, Partner at Contrarian Ventures.
Enables commercial fleet electrification
Decade Energy was founded by Volta Trucks founder Carl-Magnus Norden and the team behind its Truck-as-a-Service solution, which supported major logistics companies in electrifying their fleets and upgrading their charging and electrical infrastructure. Casper Norden, who built Truck-as-a-Service, will lead Decade Energy as CEO. The other three co-founders are Alexandre Cleret, Alejandro Ortega Peniche, and Mariela Atanasova, who led the development of financial and energy management services within Volta Trucks.
Decade Energy simplifies the electrification process by integrating and managing these systems for customers enhancing operational and environmental efficiency for logistics providers. This approach makes electric vehicles cost-competitive with diesel and will save millions of tonnes of GHG emissions.
The company provides integrated smart charging and energy management software that drastically reduces not only the overall energy need but also the cost of electricity consumed. By integrating the different energy infrastructure components in a logistics depot and making them run as one integrated system, electric fleets can achieve cost profiles far superior to those of diesel fleets.
Headquartered in Paris, the company has a pan-European network and presence to service its international customers. Its first three core markets are France, Germany, and Sweden.
“While original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have invested in EV supply chains, retailers are demanding zero-emission transportation, and logistics companies have set firm decarbonisation targets, we still see too few electric trucks on the road. Our experience from Volta Trucks is that the complexity and fragmentation of the EV ecosystem make the transition unmanageable and electric vehicles uncompetitive. By offering a solution that integrates best-in-class partners and technologies, Decade Energy allows logistics companies to focus on their core business and realize the cost advantage that electric fleets offer,” added Casper Norden, CEO.
