Electrifying heavy-duty fleets

Heavy-duty fleets, including freight trucks, drayage vehicles, refuse trucks, and construction vehicles, are rapidly moving toward electrification. These vehicles are major contributors to transportation emissions, and electrifying them presents an opportunity to lower operational costs, meet tightening regulations, and align with corporate sustainability goals. While challenges remain—such as range, charging logistics, and vehicle cost—the pace of innovation and deployment in this space is accelerating in 2025.

The U.S. added over 15,000 new electric freight and heavy-duty trucks in 2024, a 44% increase over 2023. That brought the total to over 30,000 electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks on U.S. roads by the end of last year, a 546% increase from 2022, according to CALSTART. With growing model availability, government incentives, and infrastructure scaling quickly, fleet operators are now planning large-scale deployments beyond pilot phases.

In this post, we’ll explore the key considerations for electrifying four major types of heavy-duty fleets: freight fleets, drayage fleets, refuse fleets, and construction fleets. We’ll cover charging strategies, policy momentum, vehicle performance, and the critical software tools needed to manage electric operations efficiently.

Which heavy-duty fleets are electrifying?

Freight fleets

Logistics companies and major brands are increasingly adopting Class 8 battery-electric tractors for regional haul routes. These are especially effective in return-to-base operations under 300 miles. Schneider National now operates nearly 100 electric Freightliner eCascadias—part of one of the largest Class 8 electric truck deployments in North America. These vehicles are used for regional deliveries, including hauling for PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division.

Drayage fleets

Drayage fleets—short-haul trucks operating around ports—are ideal for electrification due to their short, predictable routes and centralized charging. In California, nonprofit Climate United is investing $250M to deploy up to 500 electric drayage trucks at ports like Los Angeles and Long Beach. California’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule requires 100% of drayage trucks at ports to be zero-emission by 2035, with new registrations already limited to electric vehicles starting in 2024.

Refuse fleets

The refuse industry is embracing electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks to replace diesel garbage haulers, which are notoriously high in emissions due to stop-and-go cycles. Recology, based in San Francisco, is piloting North America’s first hydrogen fuel cell electric refuse truck, following earlier trials of battery-electric models.

Construction fleets‍

The construction sector is beginning to shift toward electric equipment, particularly in urban zones where noise and emissions are tightly regulated. Municipalities like New York and Chicago are piloting electric excavators, haulers, and work trucks as part of clean construction initiatives. 

Charging infrastructure for heavy-duty EVs

Charging heavy-duty trucks requires a different strategy than charging passenger vehicles. These trucks demand higher power, longer dwell times, and depot-level planning.

Depot charging

Most heavy-duty fleets rely on depot charging, where trucks are parked and charged overnight. To manage this effectively, operators need charging schedules that avoid demand charges, stagger energy use, and ensure vehicles are ready to dispatch. Some fleets also deploy on-site battery storage and solar to reduce grid impact and energy costs.

En-route and public charging

To support longer-haul operations, charging networks are scaling up high-power sites designed for trucks. In Bakersfield, CA, WattEV opened a 119-acre electric truck stop featuring 34 DC fast chargers and three 1.2 MW Megawatt Charging System (MCS) stations powered by solar microgrids. These MCS chargers can deliver ~300 miles of range in under 30 minutes. Other corridors are under development to provide coast-to-coast electrification support for long-haul operations.

Grid coordination‍

Power constraints are a real concern for depots installing multiple fast chargers. Smart energy management tools help balance loads, shift charging to off-peak hours, and avoid expensive grid upgrades. Fleets working with utilities or load management platforms can often scale charging infrastructure without triggering major capital projects.

Battery range, charging speed, and payload considerations

Battery-electric heavy-duty trucks have evolved quickly, with current models offering enough range for a variety of duty cycles:

• Freightliner eCascadia: ~230 miles per charge, up to 438 kWh capacity
  
• Volvo VNR Electric: ~275 miles, 565 kWh capacity
  
• Tesla Semi: Advertised 500-mile range, currently in early operations for select fleets. PepsiCo has deployed 36 Tesla Semis in California and installed eight 750 kW chargers with onsite battery storage to support the fleet at its Fresno facility.
  

Charging times vary by vehicle, but many Class 8 trucks can reach 80% charge in 90 minutes with 250 kW fast chargers. Megawatt charging technology is beginning to reduce this to 30–45 minutes.

Battery weight still impacts payload, but U.S. law allows electric trucks to exceed standard weight limits by up to 2,000 pounds to offset battery mass. In many use cases, this is enough to maintain operational payload targets.

Policy and incentives fueling adoption

Regulatory mandates and financial incentives are key accelerators for heavy-duty fleet electrification in the U.S.

• Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF): In California, new drayage trucks must be zero-emission starting 2024, and 100% of drayage trucks must be ZEVs by 2035.
  
• Federal Tax Credit (IRA Section 45W): Up to $40,000 per electric truck over 14,000 lbs.
  
• EPA Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program: $1 billion in grants for trucks and infrastructure.
  
• HVIP (California): Up to $120,000 per Class 8 electric truck, stackable with federal credits.
  
• NEVI Program (future phases): Expected to support public charging for heavy-duty corridors.
  

Combined, these programs can offset a large portion of vehicle and infrastructure costs, dramatically improving total cost of ownership for fleet operators.

Making the business case: TCO and operational efficiency

Although electric trucks still carry a higher upfront price, their long-term economics are increasingly favorable:

• Fuel savings: Electricity costs can be 60–80% lower per mile than diesel.
  
• Maintenance reduction: No oil changes, fewer moving parts, and regenerative braking mean 20–50% lower maintenance expenses.
  
• Predictable costs: Electricity prices are less volatile than diesel, offering better budgeting and cost stability.
  

For high-mileage fleets (50,000+ miles/year), breakeven timelines are now falling in the 4–7 year range, depending on use case and incentives. With policy tailwinds and scaling technology, that window is narrowing fast.

What fleet management tools are needed?

To successfully run an electric heavy-duty fleet, software plays a critical role. Key capabilities include:

• Charging logistics: Automatically schedule charging across vehicles to minimize peak demand charges and ensure route readiness.
  
• Energy monitoring: Track electricity consumption and identify trends that impact operating costs or grid usage.
  
• Real-time vehicle visibility: View battery levels, route progress, and state of charge across all trucks in the fleet.
  
• Route optimization: Ensure assignments align with available range and identify strategic opportunities for mid-shift charging.
  
• Depot load management: Integrate chargers with site energy systems to avoid electrical overload or expensive infrastructure upgrades.
  

These tools enable operators to run electric fleets as reliably—and often more efficiently—than their diesel counterparts.

Conclusion

Heavy-duty fleet electrification is no longer just a future concept—it’s happening now. With strong policy backing, proven technology, and growing infrastructure, U.S. operators across freight, drayage, refuse, and construction are scaling electric deployments in 2025 and beyond.

For fleet managers exploring electrification, success depends not just on vehicles, but on having the right systems in place to manage them. From charging logistics to route planning and energy tracking, Flipturn offers powerful fleet management software built for the complexity of electric operations.

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