Report: 50 Percent of Semi Routes Could Be Run by Electric Trucks

Half of all Class 8 semi-trucks running on diesel could easily be swapped out for battery electric models with no effect on their routes, according to a May 5 report.

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) concluded that while battery electric vehicles cannot replace all diesels, they can replace a significant share of regional haul ones. This includes cases where the driver and truck return to base each day, where loads are usually cubed out, or the daily distances aren’t very long, according to a release touting the report.

The best candidates for electrification are trucks that travel 200 miles or less each day, according to the May 5 report, the third of four market segment reports based on findings from last year’s Run on Less – Electric (RoL-E) freight efficiency demonstration.

When the demonstration concluded in September 2021, NACFE estimated that 70 percent of Class 8 trucks were electrifiable. After more detailed analysis, interviews with industry experts and further research, the NACFE now considers this market segment to be 50 percent electrifiable.

If 468,782 heavy-duty regional haul trucks (half the total population) in the U.S. and Canada were electric, it would reduce CO₂e emissions (e equals carbon dioxide equivalent) by nearly 29.4 million metric tons each year, according to the NACFE.

Key findings and lessons learned are also included in the report.