American truck drivers are sounding the horn on the Biden administration's recently finalized environmental regulations that aim to push for the heavy-duty vehicle sector to go all-electric. The truckers voiced concerns that electric heavy-duty vehicle technology is not nearly advanced enough to replace the nation's existing diesel-powered fleet, noting limitations on vehicle batteries, like low performance in cold weather conditions and shorter range.
So, you're going to need more trucks on the road, which is completely the opposite of what we would want if we were actually concerned about bettering our society.' On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized the regulations, which kick in beginning in 2026 for model year 2027 vehicles.
While the average diesel-powered semi-truck has a typical range of between 1,500 and 2,000 miles, depending on its mileage and tank size, the highest-end electric semi-truck, Tesla's Semi model, has a range of 500 miles. And most other electric models have ranges below 330 miles, according to data compiled by Ptolemus Consulting Group.
But less than 1% of new truck sales in the U.S. are zero emissions, according to the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, which represents the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy-duty vehicles. While the U.S. would need 28 million charging ports by 2030 to meet electrification goals, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are currently only 160,000 such ports.