Are Electric Trucks the Answer to Going Green?

The trucking industry keeps the economy running, but it also produces about 37% of all emissions on highways in the United States. While transportation is a big contributor to carbon emissions, carriers and truck manufacturers are stepping up and paving the way towards a greener future.

New technologies are helping optimize routes and reduce idling to save on fuel and reduce emissions. But there’s one initiative that may propel the Go Green movement forward: electric trucks.

All-electric models are being introduced by some of the biggest names in truck manufacturing, including Freightliner and Volvo. But are electric trucks really the answer to going green? We think so.

The future of electric trucks is exciting, and we’re happy to be on the ground floor of this movement.

How Fuel-Powered Trucks are Causing Carbon Emissions Problems

Fuel-powered trucks are a major contributor to carbon emissions. But carbon dioxide isn’t the only substance emitted from trucks that harm the environment.

Heavy-duty diesel fuel emits ten times more N20 (nitrous oxide) than gasoline. N20 is a potent greenhouse gas. One pound of it warms the atmosphere three hundred times the amount of one pound of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period – and it stays in the atmosphere for a long time.
Methane is another greenhouse gas emitted by trucks and a big contributor to ground-level ozone. Compared to carbon dioxide, methane is 80 times more potent at warming over a 20-year period.
Trucks also emit black carbon, which creates air pollution and is the second biggest contributor to climate change. Black carbon can stay in the atmosphere for weeks before falling back down to earth in snow or rain. The U.S. is responsible for about 8% of global black carbon emissions, and much of those emissions come from diesel engines.

Greenhouse gasses emitted during combustion can stay in the atmosphere for decades or centuries.

Although the transportation industry is a major contributor to carbon emissions, the demand for shipping and transport will only continue to grow in the future. Finding ways to reduce emissions and “go green” can help the industry meet demand without causing further harm to the environment.

How Electric Trucks are Impacting the Go Green Movement

Reaching net-zero emissions is going to rely on the advancement of electric vehicles. We’ve heard a lot about Tesla and other manufacturers helping regular people lower emissions, but are many trucking manufacturers focusing on electric big rigs?A few leading manufacturers paving the way for fully electric trucks are:

Freightliner
Tesla
Nikola Motor
Volvo

Many of these trucks are just starting to get on roadways in the United States. For example, Freightliner’s eCascadia is a class 8 rig with 360 – 500 HP, a 230-mile range and an 80% charge in 90 minutes.

These vehicles have zero emissions, and they’re the logical step forward for the industry.

Zero-emission vehicles are major state-related issues. California’s lawmakers put laws in place requiring at least 50% of vehicles sold in classes 4 – 8 to be zero-emission by 2035. By 2030, the state hopes that 30% of Class 7 and 8 trucks sold be zero-emission.

Over a dozen other states are following California’s lead and working to promote zero-emission vehicles. Group efforts, especially on the government level, have a real chance of helping reduce the emissions of big rigs on the road.

While there’s an upfront cost for owner-operators and trucking fleets to consider, long-term ownership costs for electric trucks are lower. It’s suggested that ownership costs are 50% less, or even more, than owning a diesel vehicle. In addition, charging and maintenance costs should be lower for fully electric semi-trucks.

However, going fully electric is going to take time. Even if every trucking company changed over to electric trucks today, some issues need to be addressed. But it’s an exciting time, and we have the opportunity to do better for our clients and reduce our impact on the environment.

What Needs to Change for Greater Electric Truck Adoption

First and foremost, the industry’s adoption of electric models will be slow-going while, but that doesn’t mean these changes aren’t going to happen. Two key issues, which are already being addressed, are:

Charging stations. More are being built as we speak to keep up with demand from both trucks and passenger vehicles. Until there are enough charging stations, there will still be a need for some diesel trucks on the road.
Battery range. Ranges must be extended for long-haul drivers. New battery technology is in the works as we speak, but right now, 230-mile ranges and 90-minute charge times will slow down transportation. We’re seeing some advancements here with companies frantically working to extend standard electric vehicle battery life.

When these two changes are introduced, the trucking industry will be well on its path to being green. The process will take time, but there’s every hope that we’ll see far fewer trucks polluting the environment in the next decade.

Companies such as Walmart and Albertsons are already testing out electric trucks and believe that by 2040, they’ll have entire fleets of electric vehicles.

We’re seeing heavy investments in both areas, and together, we know that the industry will rise up to meet these lofty goals.

What’s Next?

Over the next few decades, green technology will transform the trucking industry into a climate-centric industry that remains as effective in the supply chain as it is today without producing as much greenhouse gas emissions in the process.

Small, incremental changes will help the trucking industry decarbonize and potentially reach net-zero emissions in the future. Electric vehicles are just one of the ways that this goal may be achieved.

At, TCI we’re leading the way with our Go Green initiatives. We’ve ordered 50 Tesla electric semi-trucks, added GreenPower EV vehicles to our fleet, and continue to invest heavily in lowering our carbon footprint, including the installation of Solar PV systems at our locations.

Click here to learn more about our green future initiatives.