Clearing the Air: Yes, Batteries Are Ready To Power Long-Range Freight Trucks

Clearing the Air: Yes, Batteries Are Ready To Power Long-Range Freight Trucks

Co-contributor: Anthony Eggert

This article was co-written by Forbes contributor Anthony Eggert. Anthony is a Senior Director at the ClimateWorks Foundation where he works to end the climate crisis by amplifying the power of philanthropy.

The U.S. Congress just passed the most meaningful legislation on climate change in more than a decade. But, while meaningful, it unfortunately omits road freight, one of the most timely and consequential opportunities to reduce climate pollution, improve human health, and catalyze a new domestic industry. The new administration can correct this through future legislation that includes investment and policy support for the production, purchase, and charging infrastructure for a national transition to zero-emission electric trucks.



Unfortunately, while there is growing recognition of the important role of batteries in powering cars, buses, and delivery vans, there is still widespread confusion and misunderstanding about the potential for long-range, heavy-duty (i.e. big rig trucks that travel more than 300 miles in between refueling stops) battery electric (BE) trucks, often aided and abetted by misinformation from incumbents in the fossil-fuel and combustion industries. Even some clean transportation proponents don't fully understand the viability and attractiveness of long-range battery electric tractor-trailers to replace our polluting diesel truck fleet.