Range Energy’s Whitepaper Finds That its eTrailers Match Electric Semi-Truck Returns With Less Capital and Infrastructure

• Analysis of 1,000 simulated futures shows the Range eTrailer outperforming a Tesla Semi on its own depot charger in 61 percent of scenarios, while working with any tractor and the way fleets operate today.
• On the miles it assists, the Range eTrailer cuts tractor fuel use by 36.5 percent, equal to about 57 percent better fuel economy, while running the reefer on electric power.
• The Range eTrailer charges from a standard 480-volt dock circuit, typically costing about $5,200 to install and ready in roughly a month, compared to $51,500 for a single Tesla Semi depot charger.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 26, 2026 -- Range Energy, developer of the eTrailer — a drop-in powertrain for Class 8 semi-trailers — today released a whitepaper, Trucking Needs More Than a Choice Between Diesel and EV Trucks: Electrify the Trailer, offering a detailed financial comparison of the paths available to fleets looking to cut diesel consumption. With national average diesel prices reaching above $6.50 a gallon in September 2026, all fleet operators are feeling the pressure with refrigerated fleets at the top of that list due to burning diesel in two ways: the tractor and the trailer’s refrigeration unit. Meanwhile, electrifying the heavy-duty truck sector has proven challenging in North America with charging infrastructure taking years to build out and remaining one the biggest hurdles. Range’s analysis makes the case that electrifying the trailer, rather than replacing the tractor, gives fleets a comparable return on investment with less upfront capital, less infrastructure, and minimal disruption to today’s operations.

“Fleets need to see the most fuel savings for every dollar they invest, with equipment that fits how they already operate, yet the path off diesel has largely been framed as a choice between staying put and buying a new electric truck,” said Kyle Foley, CEO of Range. “Range built our analysis to be as fair as possible, comparing our Range eTrailer against the Tesla Semi as it has the most detailed cost and performance data available and a compelling return against diesel. The results show the two deliver comparable value, but the eTrailer gets there with less capital, less infrastructure, and without asking fleets to change how they run. Trucking needs more than a choice between diesel and EV trucks, and electrifying the trailer gives fleets that choice.”

The whitepaper models one tractor-trailer through seven years of service for grocery and foodservice refrigerated fleets (Range’s primary, early adopter market), comparing three options: sticking with diesel, purchasing a Tesla Semi across a range of charging configurations, or adding a Range eTrailer system to an existing trailer. Rather than relying on a single forecast, Range’s engineering team used a Monte Carlo analysis to run 1,000 plausible futures across diesel and electricity prices, charger installation costs, insurance, resale, and eTrailer fuel savings drawn from real-world pilot data. The base case is deliberately conservative, holding diesel at $5.07 a gallon and counting no purchase incentives for either option.

Key findings include:

• Comparable returns with less capital at risk: The Range eTrailer and a Tesla Semi with its own depot charger both pay back in under six years. Across 1,000 simulated futures, the eTrailer comes out ahead in 61 percent, because its result follows the price of diesel rather than uncertain infrastructure costs.
• More diesel avoided per dollar invested: The Range eTrailer avoids 387 gallons of diesel per $1,000 over seven years, compared to 358 gallons for a Tesla Semi with its own Basecharger. On the miles it assists, the Range eTrailer cuts tractor fuel use by 36.5 percent, equal to about 57 percent better fuel economy, while running the reefer on electric power.
• Stronger returns at today’s diesel prices: At September 2026 national average prices, both options pay back in about four years, and the Range eTrailer’s value rises to roughly +$50,000 with a positive return in every sampled future.
• Simpler, faster charging: The Range eTrailer charges from a standard 480-volt dock circuit, typically costing about $5,200 to install and ready in roughly a month, compared to an average of $51,500 for an installed Tesla Semi depot charger. A typical depot’s spare power can support about three Tesla Semis on their own chargers before the site needs new utility service, which Range models at about 24 months, while the same power carries about eight Range eTrailers.
• Built for the way fleets actually operate: The Range eTrailer hitches to any tractor with no modifications or special driver training, and when its battery is spent, the route continues on diesel. In Range’s pilot data, 23 percent of refrigerated pilot days ran past the dependable range of a standard range Tesla Semi.

The paper also highlights an imbalance in current incentive programs, which are focused narrowly on electric tractors. Although the refrigerated Range eTrailer avoids about three quarters of the diesel a Tesla Semi avoids, it currently receives none of the available U.S. purchase incentive funding. Range was recently admitted to Québec’s Programme Écocamionnage, where it qualifies for an incentive of up to $50,000 CAD for dry vans and refrigerated trailers, and looks forward to working with regulators on inclusion in more programs.

Range also emphasizes that trailer electrification and electric tractors are complementary rather than competing approaches. Today, the Range eTrailer can extend the range of any electric tractor towing it by at least 100 miles while keeping the reefer powered independently of the truck’s battery.

Range eTrailer production deliveries begin in late 2027. For more information and to download the whitepaper, please visit: https://range.energy/post/trucking-needs-more-than-a-choice-between-diesel-and-ev-trucks-electrify-the-trailer.

About Range Energy

Range Energy is a Mountain View, California company that develops the eTrailer, an aftermarket high-voltage electric drive system for Class 8 semi-trailers. The eTrailer helps fleets cut fuel use and emissions and extend the range of electric trucks. Learn more at range.energy.

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Kate Gundry
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