Diesel will remain the fuel of choice for long-haul truckers over the next years because:
Hydrogen is still taking significant time to develop.
Compressed natural gas seems to have lost its luster.
Electric has major drawbacks, including
- Max 275-mile range (5 hours of highway driving)
- Recharge time is 90+ minutes, that is, if you can find a charger. There are horror stories about how long it takes to get the electric service.
- Battery weight reduces the payload by 7,000-10,000 pounds.
- A battery Volvo tractor costs $470K vs. $135K for a standard truck (I think the $135K is too low)
—Source Wall Street Journal
Numbers:
- The average revenue per intermodal load is $2,749 *Knight-Swift Q2), down 24.5% YoY
- China to LA container $1,902, up 20.3% since the end of June, but down 75% YoY