Electric heavy-duty trucks are taking over the roads, and they could drive down consumer costs by cutting what it costs to ship the goods we buy.
Before your food gets to the fridge, it likely travels long distances—on a diesel truck. From apples to iPhones, trucks move 72% of goods sold in America’s stores, and freight costs shape what consumers pay, with those costs dictated by the volatile price of diesel fuel.
Now, a quiet revolution is underway: Electric heavy-duty trucks are taking over the roads, and they could drive down consumer costs by cutting what it costs to ship the goods we buy. Global sales jumped 80% in 2024 compared to the year before—a surge that signals the shift is accelerating.
While the shift is most visible abroad, Energy Innovation’s new report Delivering Affordability shows the same economic forces are taking hold across the United States. Battery-electric trucks will soon be cheaper than diesel trucks based on total cost of ownership across most vehicle types by 2030—even without subsidies. The potential payoffs for the American economy are significant: lower freight costs, lower consumer costs, expanded domestic manufacturing, and stronger global competitiveness.
But that potential is at risk. The fate of federal clean energy tax credits in “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” being debated by Congress will dictate whether the U.S. stays in the race or falls behind just as momentum builds. States are stepping up—but the version of the bill passed by one vote in the House of Representatives threatens to derail this transition. The question now is whether federal policy will steady the course or undermine it.The Cost Case for Electric Heavy-Duty Vehicles
Energy Innovation’s rigorous TCO analysis captures five-year ownership costs for battery-electric trucks—including vehicle purchase, fuel, maintenance, and charging infrastructure.
