A new US study challenges the view that electrifying long-haul freight corridors is out of reach with today’s technology.
According to the analysis by the Smart Freight Centre, Altitude by Geotab and Terawatt Infrastructure, most journeys along the I‑10 corridor fall within the range of existing battery‑electric vehicles.
The conclusion was based on anonymised telematics from more than 72,000 heavy‑duty diesel trucks over a year.
“The data fundamentally shifts the conversation around long‑haul electrification,” said Charlotte Argue, senior manager, sustainable mobility at Geotab.
“It shows that the operational reality of commercial freight on the I‑10 corridor – with 82 % of driving legs under 400 miles – makes this route highly compatible with today’s electric truck capabilities.”
Additionally, the study found that the median pause after a leg exceeding 300 miles lasts over 90 minutes, with 30% of end‑of‑leg stops extending beyond 10 hours, providing ample time for charging without disrupting schedules.
“The data provides the evidence base industry and policymakers have been waiting for,” stated Illina Frankiv, programme manager for US fleet electrification and lead of the I‑10 Shipper‑Carrier Coalition at Smart Freight Centre.
“With these insights, we can focus on building the charging infrastructure and partnerships needed to make freight a real and scalable reality,” she continued.
According to Joe Catanzarite, general manager of site commercialisation at Terawatt, the analysis provides “critical context on where fleets are going to electrify and how…charging infrastructure can support that transition”. Terawatt owns, develops, operates and maintains EV charging sites.
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the US, stretching from Santa Monica in California to Jacksonville in Florida. It is the busiest road freight route in the US, carrying approximately 8-10% of all US freight volumes.
The study suggests that electrifying driving legs that are under 200 miles would save 138 million gallon of diesel and could avoid 9.9 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.