The road freight sector is widely recognised for its operational efficiency, offering fast, reliable, and cost-effective solutions to its customers, including shippers and freight forwarders.

In today’s evolving economic and regulatory landscape, there are both opportunities and challenges in managing and optimising costs. Total cost of ownership (TCO) serves as a valuable tool for operators and shippers to guide their strategic investments.

This IRU Intelligence Briefing combines a TCO analysis with a CO₂ emissions assessment of different powertrains in Spain across a vehicle’s first life, based on current national conditions.

The briefing also provides a deep-dive into the various national assumptions used for the analysis with the latest country-specific data, as well as efficiency examples to reduce both TCO and CO₂ emissions.

Developed in collaboration with IRU member ASTIC and national experts, the Spanish report covers:

• Country-specific, inflation-adjusted cost calculations for more accurate projections
• National vehicle prices by powertrain type, along with insurance costs and estimated residual values based on desk research and stakeholder consultations
• Equipment costs (e.g. tyres) and maintenance expenses
• Average annual fuel prices for diesel, AdBlue, HVO, CNG, LNG, electricity (depot and public charging) and hydrogen
• Ownership taxes by powertrain, including the Impuesto sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica (IVTM), the Impuesto sobre Actividades Económicas (IAE), and visados
• Average annual tolling costs, as provided by the Spanish Ministry of Transport
• Well-to-wheel CO2 emissions assessment across powertrains, factoring in Spain’s electricity sourcing
• Impact of ETS2 regulation on TCO

Who is it for?

• Logistics and fleet planners who want to identify the most cost-effective powertrain for their operations
• Purchasing managers seeking visibility into the real cost of different truck powertrains to guide their procurement decisions
• Consultants looking for expert, sector-specific insights – including methodology and assumptions – to strengthen client recommendations and validate internal scenarios
• Policymakers who need reliable transport data to understand local decarbonisation dynamics and guide national policies

What is it for?

• Choose the right powertrain: Understand total costs in Spain for the first six years of ownership to make informed purchasing decisions
• Compare real-world costs: Evaluate all TCO components in Spain, including fuel, tolls, registration and ownership fees and taxes, vehicle purchase price, usage costs, inflation, and tyres
• Support sustainability goals: Select the most cost-effective fuel options in Spain to reduce emissions and contribute to Scope 3 targets
• Anticipate policy shifts: Factor in national tolls and current and upcoming regulations to understand the six-year cost impact of operating a truck in Spain
• Benchmark operations: Compare your cost and emissions performance against national averages and policy-driven scenarios

Don’t guess. Understand Spain’s cost landscape and how policy shifts are reshaping the economics of every powertrain.

Preview briefing

Full 68-page briefing contents:

• Chap. 1: EU and Spain road freight: the big picture
• Chap. 2: EU and Spain: vehicle and freight activity analysis
• Chap. 3: IRU TCO model and cost assumptions
• Chap. 4: IRU carbon emission factor assumptions
• Chap. 5: IRU TCO and CO₂ analysis results
• Chap. 6: Conclusión
• Appendix A: TCO calculation methodology
• Appendix B: vehicle characteristics

This Intelligence Briefing is available in Spanish and English.