Electric Truck TCO Calculator
Is a battery-electric tractor cheaper than diesel for your fleet? Compare the total cost of ownership of diesel, battery-electric and renewable diesel over the years you keep a truck, with sourced defaults for the U.S. average, California, Texas and New England.
Your scenario
Usage
Truck
Incentive and charger
Energy
Running costs
Total cost of ownership, 5 years
CO₂e
What would make electric win
The value at which battery-electric costs the same as diesel, changing one input at a time.
Cumulative cost per year
Day one is the purchase with excise tax (minus any incentive, plus the charger); each year adds energy, maintenance, insurance and HVUT. The resale value comes back on the last day.
Cost breakdown over 5 years
| Cost item | Diesel | Battery-electric | Renewable diesel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truck (price and excise tax minus resale, or lease) | $132,825 | $316,624 | $132,825 |
| Incentive | $0 | -$0 | $0 |
| Charger | $0 | $190,905 | $0 |
| Energy | $244,927 | $105,179 | $244,927 |
| Maintenance | $55,276 | $48,643 | $55,276 |
| Insurance | $43,840 | $79,645 | $43,840 |
| HVUT | $2,750 | $2,750 | $2,750 |
| Total cost of ownership | $479,618 | $743,746 | $479,618 |
| Per mile | $1.735 | $2.691 | $1.735 |
Defaults and sources
The defaults for U.S. average, each with its source and date. They are a starting point: your own quotes and contracts beat any average.
| Input | Default | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Miles per year | 55,276 mi | FHWA Highway Statistics 2024, VM-1 · 2024 |
| Diesel tractor price | $172,500 | ICCT (2025), Battery electric commercial vehicle pricing in the US · Sep 2025 |
| Electric tractor price | $411,200 | ICCT (2025), Battery electric commercial vehicle pricing in the US · Sep 2025 |
| Diesel resale value | 35 % | ICCT (2023), TCO of Class 8 long-haul trucks in the US · Apr 2023 |
| Electric resale value | 35 % | ICCT (2023), TCO of Class 8 long-haul trucks in the US · Apr 2023 |
| Diesel lease | — | No reliable published figure: enter your own |
| Electric lease | — | No reliable published figure: enter your own |
| Purchase incentive (electric) | $0 | IRS, Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit · Nov 2026 |
| Depot charger, installed | $190,905 | ICCT (2023), TCO of Class 8 long-haul trucks in the US · Apr 2023 |
| Diesel fuel economy | 7.1 mpg | FHWA Highway Statistics 2024, VM-1 · 2024 |
| Electric consumption | 2.63 kWh/mi | ICCT (2023), TCO of Class 8 long-haul trucks in the US · Apr 2023 |
| Diesel price | $6.292/gal | U.S. EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update · Nov 2026 |
| Renewable diesel premium over diesel | — | No reliable published figure: enter your own |
| Depot electricity price | $0.145/kWh | U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A · Aug 2026 |
| Public fast-charging price | — | No reliable published figure: enter your own |
| Share charged in public | — | No reliable published figure: enter your own |
| Diesel maintenance | $0.200/mi | ICCT (2023), TCO of Class 8 long-haul trucks in the US · Apr 2023 |
| Electric maintenance | $0.176/mi | ICCT (2023), TCO of Class 8 long-haul trucks in the US · Apr 2023 |
| Diesel insurance | $8,768/year | ICCT (2023), TCO of Class 8 long-haul trucks in the US · Apr 2023 |
| Electric insurance | $15,929/year | ICCT (2023), TCO of Class 8 long-haul trucks in the US · Apr 2023 |
| Diesel HVUT | $550/year | IRS, Instructions for Form 2290 · Jul 2026 |
| Electric HVUT | $550/year | IRS, Instructions for Form 2290 · Jul 2026 |
| CO₂e | — | GLEC Framework v3.2 · EPA eGRID2023 summary tables |
Electric truck TCO: frequently asked questions
What is the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a truck?
TCO is everything a truck costs you over the years you keep it: the purchase price and federal excise tax minus the resale value (or the lease), energy, maintenance, insurance and HVUT, minus any incentive. Comparing TCO instead of purchase prices is what makes an electric truck comparable with diesel: it costs more to buy and less to run.
When does an electric truck break even with diesel?
When its lower running costs have paid back its higher purchase price. The break-even year depends mostly on miles per year and on the price of electricity versus diesel. The more miles, the sooner it comes; a truck that runs few miles may never break even within its holding period.
What diesel price should I use?
Use what you expect to pay over the years you keep the truck, after fuel-card discounts. The default is the latest EIA weekly price, and the calculator keeps it flat. Diesel was unusually high when these defaults were set, so run the numbers at a lower price too. The levers on this page show the diesel price at which electric and diesel cost the same.
What electricity price should I use for an electric truck?
Use your utility's commercial rate including demand charges, not the average. Charging several trucks at once sets a high peak, and in many tariffs that peak drives the bill. Charging at public truck stops usually costs more per kWh than a depot, so the charging mix can decide the outcome.
Which incentives exist for electric trucks in the U.S.?
The federal commercial clean vehicle credit (§ 45W) ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, so incentives now come from states and utilities, and they open and close with each budget. This calculator leaves the incentive at 0 and notes the status of the main program in each region. Check the official page before you order: most programs require you to apply before you buy.
Do electric trucks pay federal excise tax and HVUT?
Yes. The 12% federal excise tax applies to the first retail sale of a heavy tractor, and because it is a percentage, it costs more in dollars on a more expensive electric truck. The heavy vehicle use tax (Form 2290) is set by weight, up to $550 a year, with no exemption for electric vehicles.
Is renewable diesel a cheaper way to cut CO₂ than an electric truck?
Renewable diesel runs in most modern diesel trucks without changes, so there is no extra investment. It cuts well-to-wheel CO₂e by about 70% with the GLEC default factor for HVO. It is sold mainly on the West Coast, and DOE publishes retail prices for California only, so outside California you need a quote from your fuel supplier.
What resale value should I assume for an electric truck?
Nobody knows yet: there is hardly a used market for electric trucks, and battery health will drive their price. Run the calculator with a low and a high resale value. If electric only wins with an optimistic resale value, a lease that fixes the end value can take that risk off your balance sheet.
How is the CO₂ saving calculated?
Gallons of diesel or renewable diesel times the GLEC v3.2 well-to-wheel factor, and kWh times EPA eGRID2023 emissions for the regional grid, including grid losses. The electricity figure leaves out upstream fuel production, so the real saving is somewhat smaller. An electric truck is not zero: its emissions are in power generation.