Geotab: 58% of medium-duty, 41% of heavy-duty trucks ready to electrify

The telematics experts at Geotab analyzed aggregated data from thousands connected commercial vehicles throughout 2024. Using data-driven insights that focused on US truck stop locations and medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle driving range, Geotab found what we already knew: electric vehicles are real road ready, right now.

An Altitude by Geotab study published earlier this quarter analyzed 2024 aggregated data from Geotab-connected commercial vehicles, revealing that 58% of medium-duty trucks and 41% of heavy-duty trucks drive less than 250 miles between depots. The study focused on medium-duty (Classes 3-6) and heavy-duty (Classes 7-8) truck data gathered from driving patterns, routes, and stops on real roads to determine the feasibility of electric and alt-fuel truck adoption and to help identify the most strategic locations for charging infrastructure build out.

Just how many Geotab-connected trucks were in this study, you ask? It’s a lot. Geotab-connected vehicles logged and analyzed more than 700 million miles last year alone (over 1 billion kilometers), so they’ve put in the work and the math maths.

We’re not in the messy middle anymore. The trucks are ready.

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Collaboration is critical

The Altitude study shows that a huge number of truck routes are ready to electrify, but they’re quick to point out successful electrification requires close collaboration between fleet operators and utilities, with the latter needing to anticipate the shift and work to provide the necessary infrastructure for more widespread electric truck adoption.

“The trucking industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the need for efficiency, sustainability, and economic benefits,” explains Nate Veeh, AVP of Market Development at Altitude by Geotab. “Our analysis reveals that a substantial portion of medium- and heavy-duty trucks have daily driving patterns that are well-suited for electrification … by using data insights, utilities and other key stakeholders can pinpoint where truck concentrations are and understand their aggregate driving behaviors, to make informed decisions in terms of truck electrification and the subsequent demands on energy grids and location of EV charging networks.”

Veeh makes a solid point here. It doesn’t matter how badly a fleet may want to electrify, they can’t do it alone. Their business operations have to support electrification, the trucks that meet their needs have to be readily available, they need to be capable of doing the job, (and at a price or payment they can afford), and the charging infrastructure – either public or private – has to be built out in such a way that big trucks with big trailers can navigate them.

Those pull-up Tesla Superchargers at your local Target? They won’t work.

These won’t work

States like California and Illinois are leading the charge when it comes to commercial fleet electrification, thanks in large part to aggressive incentive programs helping to build out commercial charging infrastructure and reduce the higher up-front costs typically associated with EV adoption.

In Illinois, the state’s largest utility, ComEd, is investing an $168 million through 2028 to help businesses and public sector organizations transition to electric vehicles, offering rebates of up to $7,500 for light-duty EVs like Ford F-150 Lightning or Chevy Brightdrop, and as much as $75,000 for heavy-duty commercial vehicles like the Volvo VNR Electric or Windrose R700. Those incentives can be stacked with additional federal tax incentives and grants for an even bigger impact.

And those incentives? The proof is in the electric pudding – and EV adoption in Illinois is outpacing the rest of the nation 4:1, in part because the stakeholders identified in the Geotab study are working together in lock step to help drive electrification efforts, reduce emissions, and generally help the people of Illinois breathe a little bit easier. Imagine what we could achieve if we had that kind of alignment on a national level!

You can read the Altitude by Geotab at the source link, below, then let us know what you think of the methods and conclusions in the comments.

SOURCE: Geotab.

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