Transitioning Fleet Trucks to Electric Raises Costs by up to 114 Percent, Report Warns

Mandating EV trucks in today’s market leads to even ‘more supply chain disruptions,’ said an industry expert.

Trucks sit idle as they block the entrance to a container terminal at the Port of Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on July 21, 2022. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Transitioning conventional truck fleets to electric vehicles (EVs) pushes up annual operational costs, which subsequently increases economic inflation, according to a recent report from transportation and logistics firm Ryder.

Florida-based Ryder analyzed the potential cost of transportation if internal combustion engine trucks are converted to EVs. There is a 5 percent cost increase for light-duty EVs and a 94–114 percent increase for heavy-duty trucks, the May 8 report states. For a fleet of 25 mixed vehicles—light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks—costs surge by 56–67 percent.