As published in trucknews.com.

A new survey has found that 76% of fleets are seeing real operating cost savings from electric terminal tractors compared to diesel models.

The report from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) also found that 54% of fleets are moving beyond pilot programs to either partial or full standardization of these tractors.

Mike Roeth, NACFE’s executive director, said that while some fleets may have initially taken an interest in electric terminal tractors as part of larger company sustainability efforts, they are finding real economic benefits.

“What we found is that the financial benefit — the cost savings — of these electric terminal tractors is what’s winning the favor of fleets,” he said.

The survey found reduced maintenance costs, improved driver comfort, and simpler operations as key advantages of electric terminal tractors over diesel models. One fleet with nearly a decade of performance data reported roughly 50% lower maintenance cost per operating hour and 75% to 95% lower energy cost per operating hour compared to diesel.

Terminal tractors are emerging as fleets’ entry point into electrification, with 58% of fleet operators surveyed either having adopted electric terminal tractors before any other battery-electric vehicle type or having electrified terminal tractors exclusively.

The survey was produced in collaboration with Orange EV, a manufacturer of electric terminal tractors. It included 44 fleet operators and 18 industry partners and follows NACFE’s first terminal tractor report in 2022.

“Fleet operators used to be skeptical about whether electric terminal tractors could actually do the job. Now they are asking about how quickly they could standardize around EVs,” said Zack Ruderman, vice president of sales and marketing at Orange EV.

The full report features seven case studies representing a range of outcomes, from complete standardization to the decision not to adopt electric terminal tractors. It also includes an interactive Terminal Tractor Electrification Readiness Tool.

NACFE is holding a webinar on Oct. 7 to discuss the findings further.

Published: September 22, 2026/trucknews.com