16% of Lisbon’s heavy duty vehicles currently run on compressed natural gas, while 22% of its light commercial vehicles are electric. The city seeks to have all its light commercial vehicles be electric by 2035, and to ensure that it has heavy duty electric vehicles with a short battery charging time allowing them to have 150 kilometres of autonomy. The Big Buyers Working Together Community of Practice (CoP) on Heavy Duty Electric Vehicles (HDEV) visited the city to see how it is seeking to achieve that.

The city issued its first tender in 2025 to buy an electric heavy duty vehicle used for waste collection. This acquisition will be followed in 2026 by a tender for 40 open electric heavy duty vehicles. 

The FUSO factory, visited by the CoP could potentially help the city achieve these goals. The factory produces small trucks with one battery, medium ones with two, and its largest trucks have three batteries. The battery has a capacity of 41 kwh per hour, weighs 400 kg and has a range of 80-120 kilometres, meaning that a truck with three batteries has a range of 240 km.

Electrification does come with some challenges for Lisbon. It is important that both light and heavy duty electric vehicles are able to work full three-day shifts. In addition, the purchasing and maintenance costs of these vehicles are still sometimes too high. Finally, the city wants a guarantee that it can receive technical assistance and spare parts within 48 hours.

Other cities are worried about ensuring operational delivery in light of events such as the recent blackout in Barcelona. If vehicles are 100% electric, how can their functioning be ensured even during such extraordinary circumstances? The CoP on HDEV will continue to work on such questions, looking at both other sustainable fuel options as well as battery banks.