Does an electric fleet pay back, and how much Scope 1 does it cut?
Your fleet
Advanced assumptions (loaded for the selected class)
Fleet results
Cumulative cash flow vs staying diesel/gas, years 0–10
Cost per mile, year 1
| Year | Diesel fleet | Electric fleet | Savings | Cumulative | Net CO₂e cut (t) |
|---|
Go deeper: fleet decarbonisation
Methodology and sources
- Annual fuel cost = miles ÷ mpg × fuel price. Annual electricity cost = miles × kWh/mi × depot rate, with kWh/mi rising by the efficiency-loss rate each year. Maintenance = miles × $/mi. Prices escalate at the rates under Advanced assumptions.
- Net upfront premium = fleet size × (EV price − diesel/gas price − §45W if ticked − voucher) + charger ports × port cost × (1 − 30% §30C if ticked). Payback = premium ÷ year-1 OpEx savings.
- Scope 1 (mobile combustion) = gallons × 10.21 kg CO2/gal diesel or 8.78 kg CO2/gal gasoline (EPA GHG Emission Factors Hub). Scope 2 (location-based) = kWh × eGRID 2023 subregion CO2e rate. CH4, N2O and upstream fuel emissions are excluded.
| Class preset | Diesel/gas price | EV price | Fuel economy | EV energy | Maintenance (ICE / EV) | Charger per port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery van, Class 2b/3 (gasoline) | $50,000 | $53,260 | 14 mpg | 0.62 kWh/mi | $0.14 / $0.09 | $7,500 (19 kW Level 2) |
| Box truck, Class 4–6 (diesel) | $95,000 | $190,000 | 9 mpg | 1.15 kWh/mi | $0.18 / $0.11 | $45,000 (50 kW DC) |
| Semi tractor, Class 7/8 (diesel) | $165,000 | $290,000 | 6.5 mpg | 1.85 kWh/mi | $0.215 / $0.13 | $60,000 (depot DC) |
- Van: 2026 Ford E-Transit MSRP $53,260 with an 89 kWh battery and 159-mile EPA range (Edmunds, Oct 2026). Semi: $290,000 battery-electric and $165,000 diesel tractor prices and a $60,000 depot charger as reported in October 2026 coverage of Tesla Semi pricing. Diesel maintenance and repair: $0.215/mi (ATRI, Operational Costs of Trucking, 2026 edition, 2025 data). Box-truck prices are mid-range market estimates. Electric maintenance assumes about 40% lower cost per mile (no oil changes, less brake wear through regenerative braking).
- Incentives: IRS: the §45W Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit is not available for vehicles acquired after 30 September 2025; the §30C credit applies to business charging property placed in service from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2026 (6% base, 30% with prevailing wage and apprenticeship, $100,000 per item, eligible census tracts only). Both were cut short by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 2025).
- Results are screening estimates, not investment or tax advice. Route-level energy modelling, utility make-ready programs and a tax adviser are needed before committing capital.
Sustainability Awakening · last checked 24 October 2026. All calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is stored.
Frequently asked questions
Can a business still claim the Section 45W commercial clean vehicle credit in 2026?
Only for vehicles acquired on or before 30 September 2025. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act ended Section 45W early, and the IRS says the credit is not available for vehicles acquired after that date. A vehicle counts as acquired once there is a binding written contract and a payment, so an electric truck delivered in 2026 can still qualify if it was contracted and paid for by 30 September 2025. The credit was up to $7,500 per vehicle under 14,000 pounds and up to $40,000 for heavier vehicles.
Is the Section 30C charger credit still available for fleet depots?
Only for charging equipment placed in service by 30 June 2026. For businesses it was 6% of cost, or 30% with prevailing wage and apprenticeship rules, capped at $100,000 per charging port, and the charger had to be in a low-income or non-urban census tract. Depot chargers installed after June 2026 do not qualify, so utility make-ready programs and state grants are now the main ways to cut charger costs.
How is total cost of ownership calculated for an electric fleet?
Total cost of ownership compares the extra upfront cost of electric vehicles and depot chargers, after any incentives, with the yearly savings on fuel and maintenance. Fuel cost is miles divided by miles per gallon times the fuel price; electricity cost is miles times kWh per mile times the depot rate. Simple payback is the net upfront premium divided by the first-year savings, and the modeler also shows a 10-year cumulative cash flow with fuel and power prices escalating.
How much Scope 1 does electrifying a fleet remove?
All of the tailpipe carbon dioxide from the vehicles you replace, which is 10.21 kilograms per gallon of diesel or 8.78 kilograms per gallon of gasoline under EPA emission factors. That reduction moves partly into Scope 2, because charging uses grid electricity. On the US average grid, a 25-truck Class 4 to 6 fleet driving 25,000 miles each avoids about 709 tonnes of Scope 1 a year and adds about 251 tonnes of Scope 2, a net cut of about 65%.