Congestion costs European fleets millions in wasted fuel

The Geotab European Urban Freight Efficiency Index highlights that the financial toll of gridlock is defined not just by the volume of vehicles, but by the nature of the movement. London emerged as a particularly inefficient environment, ranking sixth out of the seven cities analyzed. Its stop-start traffic patterns prevent engines from reaching optimal operating temperatures, forcing passenger vehicles to consume 13.6% of their fuel while stationary. Commercial trucks in the city face similar pressures, wasting 11.1% of their fuel to idling.

While London struggles with unpredictability, other cities demonstrate that slow traffic does not always equate to high waste. Rome and Madrid, for instance, recorded the lowest truck idle waste in the study at just 2.8%, as their traffic flows remain relatively consistent even when sluggish. Paris presents the inverse challenge, with predictable commute times but a high truck idle rate, as commercial vehicles lose nearly one in every five litres of fuel while at a standstill.

Edward Kulperger, Senior Vice President at Geotab, noted that congestion is often measured solely by time lost, ignoring the deeper financial and environmental decay. Beyond the delay of deliveries, fleets are effectively burning capital while their engines run and their wheels remain motionless. As geopolitical instability drives diesel prices above €2 per litre, the cost of this inefficiency has become a primary concern for logistics operators across the continent.