Could one electric truck save you $40,000 a year?

Cut diesel costs. Reduce maintenance. Find out whether part of your fleet could earn more by going electric.

If you own trucks, you already know how fast diesel, maintenance and downtime can eat into a good month.

So here’s a question worth asking:

What if one of your trucks could do its job for roughly half the energy cost?

Using efficiency measured in DHL’s Tesla Semi trial, an illustrative truck running 100,000 miles annually could save approximately $42,500 a year in energy costs under the assumptions below.

That deserves a serious look.

We’ve worked in logistics and 3PL warehousing for over 20 years. We’re excited about the opportunity for cleaner, more efficient, more cost-effective freight—and we want to help select companies take part in that transition, starting with routes where the numbers work.

Here’s the $42,500 math

In a two-week operational trial, DHL put a Tesla Semi through 3,000 miles of normal work. The truck averaged 1.72 kWh per mile. Its test included a 390-mile trip at a gross combined weight of 75,000 pounds on one charge.

Read DHL’s published trial results.

Apply that measured efficiency to a straightforward example:

Diesel: 100,000 miles ÷ 6.5 mpg × $5 = $76,923.

Electric: 100,000 miles × 1.72 kWh/mile × $0.20 = $34,400.

*Illustrative assumptions, not current price quotes or PepsiCo’s reported costs. This energy-only comparison excludes charging losses, demand charges, infrastructure, vehicle purchase or financing, insurance, maintenance and other ownership costs. DHL’s measured efficiency is not guaranteed for another route or truck. These are potential energy savings, not net profit or total ownership savings.

What happens when electricity costs more?

Good question. Cheap charging makes this opportunity stronger; expensive charging can shrink it considerably.

Holding the same mileage, efficiency and diesel assumptions constant:

Calculated scenarios, not fleet case-study results. The same exclusions apply.

This is why your utility bill, charging schedule and actual lanes belong in the conversation from day one.

PepsiCo is doing the work—and sharing the experience

PepsiCo’s Sacramento Tesla Semis participated in NACFE’s Run on Less–Electric DEPOT demonstration. NACFE’s fleet profile describes heavy-load routes with trips up to 450 miles on one charge and provides links to operating metrics.

Explore PepsiCo’s fleet profile and operational video, or read NACFE’s demonstration overview.

That is useful real-world evidence. It does not establish that every fleet will match PepsiCo’s results.

We have not identified a public, complete PepsiCo/Frito-Lay financial breakdown that proves the $42,500 example above. That number is our calculation using DHL’s measured efficiency and clearly stated assumptions.

Less maintenance means fewer diesel headaches

Battery-electric trucks eliminate the diesel engine and its exhaust treatment system. That removes engine oil changes, DEF refills and diesel particulate filter servicing from the maintenance list.

The U.S. Department of Energy explains that all-electric vehicles generally need less maintenance because they have fewer moving parts and fewer fluids to change. Regenerative braking also reduces brake wear.

For a fleet operator, that creates the opportunity for lower scheduled maintenance and fewer interruptions tied to diesel-specific components.

Trucks still need tires, inspections, chassis maintenance and repairs. Charging availability and service support also affect uptime. We would evaluate those factors before attaching a dollar figure to maintenance or promising fewer days off the road.

Start with the routes that give electric a chance to win

Our recommendation: evaluate one truck or a small group of repeatable routes first.

Look for predictable daily mileage, known payloads, dependable charging access and enough annual utilization to make lower operating costs matter. Depot-to-depot moves, warehouse transfers, regional distribution and selected drayage routes are sensible places to investigate.

Then ask the questions that decide the investment:

• Can the truck carry the load?
• Can it charge without disrupting dispatch?
• What will the utility actually charge?
• What does the vehicle and charging installation cost?
• Who handles service?

A full comparison should include purchase price, infrastructure, financing, energy, maintenance, charging time and payload impacts. The national laboratory’s Transportation Technology Total Cost of Ownership framework explains why those costs belong together.

Use outside carriers? Your lanes still matter

You can explore electric freight without buying a truck yourself.

If you ship consistent volume between the same locations, ask whether a carrier can serve those lanes with electric equipment.

Availability, charging access and the carrier’s commercial rates will determine whether it works. A carrier’s energy savings do not automatically become a lower freight quote.

Our truckload freight shipping and managed transportation services provide a starting point for reviewing those recurring moves.

A cleaner truck is one part of a better freight operation

Electric trucks produce no tailpipe emissions. Their full environmental impact also depends on electricity generation, battery production and the rest of the vehicle’s life cycle, as the Department of Energy explains.

We like the opportunity to reduce local exhaust while improving freight economics. We also look at the rest of the operation:

• 3PL warehousing and fulfillment: Evaluate inventory placement closer to your customers.
• Parcel shipping savings: Review rates and shipping options for individual orders.
• Freight API automation: Connect quoting, booking and tracking to the systems your team uses.
• Logistics and supply chain consulting: Build a plan around your actual operation.

Jeremy Curran
Easy Logistics Management
20+ years in logistics and 3PL warehousing