We all know that fossil-fuel-burning trucks aren’t that great for the environment, but what is the actual cost of going (hopefully) cleaner and greener?
Well, it could be as much as one trillion USD (and that’s just in the USA)!
An industry study released recently in California, which was sponsored by the freight-hauling truck fleet industry, concludes charging infrastructure for a nationwide fleet of 100% electric trucks will cost USD 622 billion alone.
Add to that an additional $370 billion on electric utilities to upgrade or install electric substations, overhead and underground lines, transformers, poles, and fixtures to supply truck chargers.
The study said that electricity providers would need to spend nearly the equivalent of what was spent on the entire system during the past 15 years.
Not covered in the report: the expense of the trucks themselves.
The motor freight industry says the highly detailed report adds to the concern that government mandates are moving too fast.
“It could put the supply chain at risk,” – Jim Mullen, chief strategy officer of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association
“It’ll make COVID look real tame if we don’t do this right.”
The yin to this yang is that a case could be made that the running costs of an electrified truck could be significantly lower than a diesel-powered machine, therefore offsetting some of the costs found by the study.
The California Air Resources Board estimates that operating costs could be up to 33% lower for electric trucks by 2030 in that state.
“California and the federal government are making unprecedented investments to prepare for a zero-emissions future that will bring multiple cost-saving benefits in reduced fuel and maintenance costs for fleet operators,” – Steven Cliff, the air board’s executive officer.
“Cleaner air will also mean reduced health costs for Californians and a future with fewer costly impacts from climate change.”
Any way you cut it, the cost of shifting to electrification is going to be a hefty one for the global transport and road transport industry in the coming decades.
