What It Takes to Electrify Long-Haul Freight

Electrifying class 8 heavy-duty trucks is entering a new phase. While progress has focused on local and regional routes, real-world data now show that long-haul electric vehicle (EV) trucking is within reach. 

For states and utilities laying the groundwork for heavy-duty (HD) EVs and charging infrastructure deployment, the question is no longer whether this transition will happen, but how best to design programs that accelerate it. 

A framework for designing long-haul incentive programs 

The Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) used data from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) Run on Less demonstrations to explore what next-generation incentive programs for HD trucks could look like.   

The goal was to ground program design in how trucks actually operate—not assumptions. By translating vehicle activity into metrics such as mileage, energy use, charging behavior and operating range, and modeling daily operations under conservative conditions, the analysis shows that some long-haul use cases are now within reach.  

From this work, a clear framework emerges that states, utilities and policymakers can use to align incentives with operational needs and constraints. It is built on two core ideas:  

• Incentives should reflect operational intensity, not just vehicle type.
• Vehicle and charging investments must be designed together. 

Three strategies for designing stronger HD EV incentive programs

These principles point to three core design strategies to help states, utilities and policymakers structure and scale more effective incentive programs for electrifying heavy-duty trucking. 

1. Use a tiered structure based on mileage

   Mileage is one of the most practical ways to differentiate truck use. It serves as a proxy for operational intensity, emissions reduction potential and the level of vehicle and charging investment required. Higher-utilization trucks require larger batteries, more frequent charging and more robust infrastructure, and therefore higher upfront costs.

   A tiered incentive structure based on CSE’s modeled scenarios using NACFE data shows the direction programs could take:

   Tier 1: Local operations
   Lower mileage, lower costs
   Requirement: 7,500 minimum annual miles
   Incentive: $150,000 cap

   Tier 2: Regional operations
   Moderate mileage and infrastructure needs
   Requirement: 15,000 minimum annual miles
   Incentive: $200,000 cap

   Tier 3: Long-haul operations
   High mileage, higher costs
   Requirement: 87,500 minimum annual miles
   Incentive: $300,000 cap

   In this model, incentives scale with utilization, allowing programs to direct funding where it delivers the greatest impact. It supports near-term deployment while creating a pathway to long-haul electrification.

    

2. Pair vehicle incentives with charging incentives

   Long-haul electrification depends not just on vehicles, but also on access to charging that supports real-world operations. Programs that fund trucks without addressing charging constraints are likely to fall short.

   CSE’s analysis of NACFE data shows that charging speed is a critical factor. Under conservative assumptions, Class 8 EV trucks can easily travel 350 to 400 miles per day, but only with high-power charging. At lower charging speeds, downtime increases and daily range declines.

   Range also shapes infrastructure needs. Operating within a practical charging window of 20% to 80%, trucks can typically travel about 175 to 275 miles between charges depending on battery capacity, cargo, terrain and other factors. That directly determines corridor spacing and where investment is needed.

   A parallel tiered structure for charging incentives can align infrastructure with these realities:

   Tier 1: Depot charging (≤150 kW)
   Supports local fleets
   Incentive: $50,000 per charger

   Tier 2: Shared or hub charging (150–350 kW) 
   Supports regional operations
   Incentive: $100,000 per charger

   Tier 3: Corridor charging (≥350 kW)
   Supports long-haul routes
   Incentive: $150,000 per charger

   Designing vehicle and charging incentives together ensures infrastructure keeps pace with deployment, enhances operational efficiency, and reduces the risk of underutilized assets.

    

3. Build in verification and continuous learning

   Data from NACFE shows that outcomes in the field can vary. Efficiency, range and charging behavior are influenced by terrain, payload and duty cycle, making data collection essential.

   Mileage verification through telematics or odometers can confirm that vehicles are meeting operational thresholds and delivering expected emissions reductions. Charging data provides insight into utilization, dwell time, reliability and power demand. 

   Programs should track key metrics such as: 

   Vehicle utilization (annual miles traveled) 

   1. Charging reliability and uptime
   2. Energy consumption (kWh per mile)
   3. Infrastructure utilization (charging frequency)
   4. Emissions reductions based on actual operations 

Together, these metrics create a feedback loop that allows programs to evolve—refining incentive levels, eligibility criteria and infrastructure investment as the market matures.  

What success could look like at scale 

Using conservative assumptions, this framework suggests that a single $50 million program could support: 

• Approximately 210 zero-emission trucks.
• About 110 charging ports across depot, hub and corridor locations.
• Roughly 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions reduced annually. 

Most funding would flow to local and regional tiers, where deployment is already accelerating. A smaller but targeted share would support long-haul trucking, advancing the market without overcommitting resources to less mature segments. 

Impacts would be even greater if multiple states implement a program in coordination, connecting freight corridors across state lines, improving infrastructure utilization, and accelerating investment across the supply chain. 

This is where program design begins to move beyond individual deployments and toward market transformation. 

Design for what comes next 

Long-haul electric trucking is not yet the dominant use case, but it is no longer out of reach. Early deployments are beginning to define what is possible—and what it will take to scale. 

States and utilities do not need to solve every challenge at once. But they can act now by expanding programs to include long-haul tiers, piloting corridor charging, coordinating regionally and using data to refine program design over time. 

The next phase of transportation electrification will depend on how quickly programs evolve to support higher-utilization, higher-impact applications. 

At the Center for Sustainable Energy, we help states and utilities design and implement incentive programs that turn ambitious goals into practical strategies. With more than $3 billion in EV and EV charging funding administered nationwide, CSE brings the technical, operational and data expertise needed to move from early adoption to broader transformation. 

The transition to clean freight is underway. The next step is building programs that can carry it forward.  

• Read the first article in this series, The Electric Truck Market is Gaining Speed, which outlines how the electric MHD truck market is gaining momentum and why infrastructure planning will determine how quickly it scales.
• For help designing or administering a medium- and heavy-duty EV incentive program, contact CSE at consult@energycenter.org.