Institutional enablers and barriers of electric truck adoption in Finnish logistics

Abstract

The Decarbonization of road freight transport is becoming increasingly significant as governments and industries try to meet climate commitments and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Despite technological improvement and policy support, electric trucks (ETs) have not yet been widely adopted as an effective solution for sustainable freight transport. This study examined the institutional enablers and barriers for the adoption of electric trucks in the logistics sector in Finland through the lens of the institutional isomorphism framework presented by DiMaggio and Powell. A qualitative research methodology was used, and empirical data were gathered from nine semi-structured interviews with industry experts from the logistics, transportation, and energy sectors. Thematic analysis was used to identify coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures affecting organizational adoption decisions. The results showed that policy instability, regulatory fragmentation, financing challenges, infrastructure investment deadlocks, lack of a secondary market for electric trucks, and entrenched diesel industry norms act as barriers to the adoption of electric trucks. At the same time, stable long-term regulatory frameworks, public financial support, customer sustainability requirements, corporate ESG commitments, stakeholder collaboration, and peer learning were identified as important enablers. The study further highlights the importance of policy certainty, supply chain relationships, and industry signalling in shaping adoption decisions. The results advance the understanding of the adoption of electric trucks from an institutional perspective and guide policymakers, logistics companies, and other stakeholders interested in promoting the transition to sustainable freight transport in Finland.