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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThere is no single price that applies to every heavy-duty electric truck. The simplest estimate is electricity cost per mile = truck energy use in kWh per mile × the effective electricity price per kWh. A California Department of Transportation scenario works out to $0.24 per mile for electricity, before demand charges, using an assumed 2 kWh per mile and an off-peak rate of $0.12 per kWh. That is an illustration—not a national average or a quote for a particular truck.
A fleet’s full cost can also include demand charges, charging equipment and site work, maintenance, and the operational effects of charging time. To estimate what a truck will cost your operation, use its route-specific energy consumption and your utility’s actual commercial tariff, then decide whether you are measuring electricity alone, operating cost, or total ownership cost.
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Start with the electricity cost per mile
For a first estimate, multiply the truck’s electricity use by the price of electricity delivered to it:
Electricity cost per mile = kWh per mile × effective delivered price per kWh
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For example, the California Department of Transportation’s 2023 scenario uses an off-peak electricity price of $0.12/kWh and an electric semi-truck consumption assumption of 2 kWh/mi. The calculation is 2 × $0.12, or $0.24 per mile for electricity, before demand charges. The rate and consumption figure belong to that report’s scenario; they should not be treated as current rates across California or elsewhere, or as a guarantee for a particular truck.
For a route, the same calculation can be made with total energy instead of a per-mile figure: multiply the kWh needed for the route by the applicable delivered rate. If charging happens across multiple time periods, calculate each portion at the tariff that applies at that time, then add them together. This gives an energy charge estimate, not necessarily the full utility bill or the cost of owning and operating the vehicle.
Turn a per-mile figure into an annual estimate
Once a route-specific energy cost per mile is available, multiply it by the truck’s expected annual miles to estimate annual electricity expense. The result remains an energy-only estimate unless demand charges and other bill components have been added. Annual mileage is a fleet input, not a universal truck characteristic: route assignments, utilization, and days in service all affect it.
Alternatively, use expected annual kWh and the applicable tariff periods. That approach can be more useful when the fleet already tracks charging energy or when time-of-use rates mean the same truck pays different prices for charging at different hours. Keep the calculation’s scope visible: a cents-per-mile energy figure is not interchangeable with a full operating-cost or ownership-cost figure.
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Why the actual bill can be higher than the energy calculation
Commercial demand charges
Some commercial tariffs bill for both the energy consumed and the facility’s peak power draw. A fleet can therefore incur a demand charge even when total monthly kWh are modest relative to its peak. If several trucks charge at high power at the same time, their combined draw can raise the site peak. The U.S. Department of Energy identifies demand charges as a consideration for fleet charging; whether and how they apply depends on the serving utility’s tariff.
Managed charging may help control simultaneous peaks by scheduling or staggering charging, but the result depends on the vehicles’ arrival times, departure deadlines, charger capability, and local rate rules. A fleet should examine its commercial tariff and charging schedule together rather than assume that shifting some charging off-peak will automatically remove demand charges.
Time-of-use energy rates
Commercial electricity rates can vary by time of day. The Department of Energy notes that fleets may be able to shift charging to off-peak periods, subject to the local tariff and operating schedule. The useful question is not simply whether an off-peak rate exists, but whether trucks can be charged during that window without disrupting dispatch or requiring additional vehicles or charging capacity.
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The electricity bill is only one part of charging cost. NREL’s 2024 levelized-cost framework separates vehicle and charger capital, fuel, and maintenance, and its electricity assumptions distinguish charging locations and include infrastructure cost adders. A site’s charging equipment and electrical infrastructure are therefore part of the economic picture, even though a kWh price alone does not capture them.
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Charging power affects the kind of infrastructure a fleet may need. National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) says a connector of at least 350 kW may be needed to charge a Class 8 semitruck in a matter of hours; a station intended to serve multiple trucks quickly may need 20 MW or more. These are power-scale descriptions, not equipment prices or universal requirements. The appropriate configuration depends on how many trucks charge, when they arrive, how long they can dwell, and the site’s electrical service.
Utilization and charging time
Infrastructure costs are spread across the energy delivered by a station. A frequently used charger can allocate its fixed costs across more charging activity than a lightly used one, although the site still has to meet the fleet’s peak-power and scheduling needs. Utilization also affects the share of a bill represented by demand charges: the same peak can be associated with more delivered energy when the station serves more charging sessions.
Charging time can affect operations beyond the utility bill. NREL’s T3CO framework accounts for charging dwell time, downtime, and cargo-capacity effects alongside purchase, fueling or charging, maintenance, and driving. A simple electricity-per-mile result does not measure the cost of a truck waiting to charge, nor does it determine whether the route has enough time and payload capacity to work as planned.
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The California Department of Transportation’s 2023 report provides two useful illustrations of how assumptions shape a cost estimate. They are scenario figures, not current offers or predictions for a new site.
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| Illustrative case | Reported inputs or result | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Per-mile electricity calculation | $0.12/kWh off-peak electricity and 2 kWh/mi assumed consumption, producing $0.24/mi | Energy cost before demand charges, under the report’s stated assumptions. |
| Well-utilized roadside rest-area scenario | About $17,000 annual electricity cost per truck | An annual result tied to the report’s particular tariff and utilization assumptions; not a general yearly cost. |
| High-utilization station scenario | 25 trucks per day, each receiving 390 kWh; about 292 MWh per month; an estimated $35,000 per month in energy charges plus $1,485 per month in demand charges | Shows how energy and demand charges can combine in one stated scenario. It does not establish what another station will pay. |
The high-utilization example is particularly useful for seeing why a station’s monthly bill cannot be inferred from the vehicle’s kWh per mile alone. Energy charges are linked to the volume of charging, while the demand charge reflects a separate tariff component. A different utility, station design, schedule, or tariff can produce a different result.
Other published figures also require context. NREL’s 2024 ATB methodology uses maintenance-and-repair assumptions of $0.12–$0.15/mi for diesel and $0.08–$0.10/mi for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). These are modeling assumptions, not guaranteed maintenance bills for a specific fleet. A 2025 National Grid white paper gives $0.36/mi for electric fueling and $0.49/mi for diesel in an illustrated medium-duty utility-program case. That comparison is utility-specific and medium-duty; it is not a heavy-duty national benchmark.
How to build a fleet-specific estimate
A useful estimate needs to match the truck’s work and the site that will charge it. Make the assumptions explicit so that a change in route, tariff, or utilization does not get hidden inside one headline cost-per-mile figure.
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- Use the right truck and route energy figure. Get expected kWh per mile for the heavy-duty vehicle and the duty cycle in question. Consider route, payload, terrain, speed, weather, and operating pattern. Do not substitute a medium-duty consumption figure for a heavy-duty tractor without labeling the mismatch.
- Apply the fleet’s actual electricity tariff. Check the commercial rate schedule with the serving utility, including time-of-use periods and demand-charge rules. If charging occurs in multiple periods, separate the kWh for each period before applying its rate.
- Model charging concurrency and timing. Estimate how many trucks charge at once, their charging power, arrival and departure times, and the available dwell window. Test whether managed or staggered charging can meet dispatch needs and what it does to the site’s peak draw.
- Account for the charging location and infrastructure. Include the relevant charger and site infrastructure assumptions rather than treating the delivered kWh price as the complete cost. Confirm that the site configuration can supply the required power for the fleet’s charging pattern.
- Add operating and ownership items at the chosen scope. Include maintenance, vehicle and charger capital where relevant, and operational effects such as charging dwell, downtime, or cargo-capacity impact if the aim is a broader cost comparison.
- Show annual use and the calculation boundary. Record expected annual mileage or charging energy and identify which bills and costs are included. This makes the estimate auditable and prevents an energy-only number from being presented as total truck cost.
Compare electric and diesel trucks on equal terms
A fair electric-versus-diesel comparison uses the same route, annual mileage, payload, vehicle life, and cost scope. Comparing an electric truck’s electricity expense with a diesel truck’s fuel expense can answer a narrow fueling-cost question, but it does not establish which vehicle is cheaper to own or operate.
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NREL describes Levelized Cost of Driving (LCOD) as a simplified measure distinct from comprehensive total cost of ownership. Its T3CO framework is broader: it includes purchase, fueling or charging, maintenance, driving, charging dwell time, cargo-capacity impact, and downtime. Choose the scope that matches the decision, and label it clearly.
- For an energy-only comparison: compare electricity cost using the fleet’s tariff and route consumption with diesel fuel cost using the relevant local fuel price and vehicle consumption.
- For direct operating cost: add the relevant maintenance assumptions and tariff components, including demand charges where applicable.
- For an ownership decision: include vehicle and charger capital, vehicle life, annual mileage, infrastructure, and any operating effects included in the chosen framework.
Do not use the National Grid medium-duty program example as a proxy for a heavy-duty truck: its reported $0.36/mi electric and $0.49/mi diesel values belong to that utility’s illustrated case and assumptions. Likewise, NREL’s maintenance ranges are modeling inputs, not a promise that a particular fleet will realize those costs.
Common estimate mistakes
- Treating $0.24/mi as a universal answer. It follows from one 2023 California scenario’s $0.12/kWh off-peak rate and 2 kWh/mi assumption, before demand charges.
- Ignoring the tariff’s peak component. A per-kWh calculation may miss a demand charge tied to peak power draw.
- Assuming off-peak charging is always practical. A lower time-of-use price only helps if the fleet can charge during that period without compromising its schedule.
- Counting only electricity while describing the result as “running cost.” That wording can imply maintenance, infrastructure, capital, and operating impacts that the calculation omits.
- Comparing different vehicle classes or work. Medium-duty figures, different payloads, or different routes do not establish heavy-duty tractor economics.
- Assuming charging power alone sets cost. High power can affect the site configuration and peak draw; utilization and timing affect how infrastructure and demand-related costs are distributed.
What a fleet should verify with its utility
Before relying on a budget estimate, ask the serving utility or review the applicable commercial tariff for the actual rules that govern the planned charging site. Utility programs and rates are local and can change. Check the energy price by time period, how the demand charge is calculated, and whether managed-charging options or infrastructure support are available. National Grid’s published example demonstrates that a utility may have program-specific assumptions; it does not establish savings available to fleets served by another utility.
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