The North American Council for Freight Efficiency forecasts commercial battery-electric vehicles and fuel cell trucks will be capable of lower total cost of ownership, compared with baseline diesel trucks, in the 2030 time frame.

Carriers aiming to answer this question — how much did that truck truly cost? — must weigh a range of factors to arrive at a “total cost of ownership.” The factors considered might differ from one operator to the next, but the basic considerations tend to be the same, fleet managers and truck manufacturers said.