The Future of the Trucking Industry: Electric Semi-Trucks

The document examines the transition to electric semi-trucks in the U.S., noting that while they offer significant public health benefits and lower total cost of ownership, high upfront costs and limited charging infrastructure remain hurdles. It details how federal legislation, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, aims to accelerate cost parity and infrastructure deployment.

• Transitioning to zero-emission trucking in the U.S. could generate $735 billion in cumulative public health benefits between 2020 and 2050 by preventing 66,800 premature deaths, 1.75 million asthma attacks, and 8.5 million lost work days.
• Electric semi-trucks offer a lower total cost of ownership than diesel models due to cheaper and more stable electricity rates and reduced maintenance from simpler drivetrains and regenerative braking. A 2021 Lawrence Berkeley National Lab study estimated that an electric semi-truck with a 375-mile range would have a 13% lower total cost of ownership ($1.51 per mile) compared to diesel ($1.73 per mile), resulting in $200,000 in net savings over a 15-year lifetime.
• High upfront costs and infrastructure gaps are primary barriers; electric semi-trucks can cost up to 2.8 times more than diesel trucks without incentives. Additionally, while there are 6,700 public DC fast-charging stations in the U.S., most are for passenger vehicles, restricting electric trucks mainly to regional hub-and-spoke routes.
• The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides tax credits of up to $40,000 for electric trucks over 14,000 pounds, a $1 billion Clean Heavy Duty Vehicle Program, and an increased commercial cap of $100,000 per charger for the 30 percent electric vehicle supply equipment tax credit.
• The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) mandates that states plan public charging stations every 50 miles along alternative fuel corridors and funds the deployment of low- and zero-emission transportation options.

APA

Agrawal, S. (2023). The Future of the Trucking Industry: Electric Semi-Trucks. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-the-future-of-the-trucking-industry-electric-semi-trucks-2023

Chicago

Agrawal, Shreya. The Future of the Trucking Industry: Electric Semi-Trucks. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2023. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-the-future-of-the-trucking-industry-electric-semi-trucks-2023.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Agrawal |first1=Shreya |title=The Future of the Trucking Industry: Electric Semi-Trucks |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=11 May 2023 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-the-future-of-the-trucking-industry-electric-semi-trucks-2023 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{agrawal2023future, author = {Agrawal, Shreya}, title = {{The Future of the Trucking Industry: Electric Semi-Trucks}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-the-future-of-the-trucking-industry-electric-semi-trucks-2023}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }