Municipal flatbed vehicles: The 80% subsidy for electric conversion ran until 2024 – the status today
Municipal flatbed vehicles: The 80% subsidy for electric conversion ran until 2024 – the status today
Your municipality is faced with the challenge of replacing expensive special setups on flatbed trucks to achieve climate goals? A diesel-to-electric conversion not only protects your investments but also reduces operating costs by up to 70%.
The topic briefly and concisely
Until 2024, municipalities could receive up to 80% funding for the additional costs of converting their flatbed vehicles to electric drive; new funding calls are not planned.
Retrofitting (DTE) is often more economical than purchasing new, as expensive special structures are retained and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) decreases.
The Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD) establishes a legal framework that requires municipalities to procure emission-free vehicles such as converted municipal vehicles with trucks.
Municipal fleets are under double pressure: rising diesel prices are straining budgets, while the Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD) mandates binding quotas for zero-emission vehicles. For many cities and municipalities, purchasing new electric vehicles seems to be the only way forward, but is often uneconomical, especially in the case of expensive specialized superstructures. A far more pragmatic solution is the conversion of proven municipal vehicles with flatbeds. This approach not only protects the budget, but also promotes the circular economy and ensures compliance with legal requirements. State funding was recently available via the KsNI covering up to 80% of the additional costs.
Legal pressure to act: Understanding the Clean Vehicles Directive
Since August 2021, the Clean Vehicles Procurement Act (SaubFahrzeugBeschG) has transposed the EU-wide Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD) into German law. For public clients such as municipalities, binding minimum quotas therefore apply when procuring new vehicles. In the first reference period until the end of 2025, 10% of new heavy-duty commercial vehicles and 38.5% of light-duty commercial vehicles must be low-emission. These requirements make sticking to pure diesel fleets impossible. The regulations affect both direct purchases as well as leasing agreements and service contracts, for example in green space maintenance or waste disposal. Non-fulfillment of the quotas can lead to legal consequences, which is why strategic fleet planning is essential. Retrofitting existing electric flatbed trucks is a recognized measure to fulfill these quotas.
Focusing on Economic Efficiency: Reassessing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) comprises all costs over the lifespan of a vehicle, not just the purchase price. A study by the University of Exeter shows that the TCO tipping point, where electric vehicles become cheaper than diesel, has already been reached in many segments. Electric drivetrains have significantly lower operating and maintenance costs, as fewer moving parts wear out and oil changes are eliminated. While the acquisition costs for new electric vehicles are high, retrofitting fundamentally changes this calculation. You eliminate the largest cost blocks of a new purchase: the chassis and the special body. The combination of lower energy costs and reduced maintenance efforts makes retrofitting municipal vehicles with flatbeds the economically superior alternative; government funding additionally supports this.
Practically implement circular economy: The diesel-to-electric (DTE) conversion
The conversion is the core of a sustainable fleet strategy. Instead of scrapping a fully functional vehicle, the combustion engine is replaced by a modern electric drive. This process preserves the value of your proven Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, including the expensive platform body. HEERO converts your vehicles within just ten days. The result is an e-platform vehicle with a range of up to 400 kilometers and a net battery capacity of 96 kWh. This approach not only reduces waste but also saves the CO₂ emissions that would be generated during the production of a new vehicle. The conversion is therefore an active contribution to the circular economy and resource conservation. This is how your proven municipal vehicle with a platform body becomes future-proof.
Your 4-point plan for cost-effective electrification
The federal KsNI funding window has been closed since August 2024. With a structured approach, you can clarify the funding situation for your municipal vehicle with flatbed:
Conduct a needs analysis: Record the daily driving profiles and requirements of your flatbed vehicles (e.g. for the municipal yard). How many kilometers are traveled per day and what loads are transported?
Check funding opportunities: Have your specific situation analyzed by experts. Until 2024, the KsNI directive offered up to an 80% subsidy on the additional costs of conversion and included the charging infrastructure.
Calculate cost-effectiveness: Request a detailed TCO analysis comparing your current diesel costs with the projected costs after conversion. Take into account energy, maintenance, taxes, and subsidies.
Plan implementation: Arrange fixed conversion dates and plan the necessary charging infrastructure. A HEERO e-flatbed vehicle can fast-charge at up to 135 kW, making operational planning flexible.
This pragmatic approach ensures that you correctly assess the funding situation and efficiently modernize your fleet.
Funding situation in retrospect: The KsNI guideline ran until 2024
The funding program "Climate-friendly Commercial Vehicles and Infrastructure" (KsNI) of the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM) was the central instrument for financing fleet conversions. It subsidized up to 80% of the additional costs of a conversion compared to a reference diesel vehicle. The installation of the necessary charging infrastructure was also part of the guideline. The decisive point: The guideline ran until 2024 and was discontinued as of August 2024. According to the Federal Government, no new funding calls are planned. The funding applied to light and heavy commercial vehicles and thus also to municipal tippers and platform trucks. Already approved projects will be fully financed. Start planning independently of this to make a contribution to air pollution control through retrofitting.
Technical performance in municipal use
A converted municipal vehicle with a flatbed must function reliably in everyday use. The HEERO technology is based on the robust Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and is optimized for professional use.
Range: Up to 400 km with a single charge (double cab & single cab).
Battery: 110 kWh gross / 96 kWh net capacity for maximum longevity.
Charging capacity: Up to 135 kW as standard at DC fast charging stations for short downtimes.
Payload: The conversion is designed to maintain a high payload, ideal for gardening and landscaping.
Drive performance: The electric drive offers high torque right from the start, making driving with a full load easier.
These performance specifications ensure that your converted fleet, for example for a nursery with flatbed trucks, is up to daily demands without compromise.
More useful links
Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr provides information on the funding guidelines for charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
Bundesministerium für Verkehr provides general information on electromobility in Germany.
Deutscher Bundestag offers a document on a topic in the field of transport or electromobility.
Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität (BALM) provides information on the Climate Protection and Sustainability in Inland Transport (KSNI) funding program.
Umweltbundesamt offers information on the topic of climate protection in transport.
EU-Kommission publishes a press release on the planned regulation on the recycling of vehicles within the framework of the circular economy.
Umweltbundesamt provides information on the recovery and disposal of end-of-life vehicles.
Destatis (Statistisches Bundesamt) offers statistics on new passenger car registrations in Germany.
