Why don't you want to switch to a new energy heavy truck?

In today's freight industry, new energy heavy trucks are becoming increasingly popular, with manufacturers promoting them everywhere and policy subsidies being introduced from time to time. New energy heavy trucks are also more commonly seen at ports and mining areas, and some truckers even share bills showing that 'electric heavy trucks save fuel costs'. Yet, even so, when asked 'should I switch to a new energy heavy truck?', the vast majority of truckers still shake their heads, their eyes full of hesitation and concern. Freight professionals deal with trucks all their lives, and choosing a truck is never about 'fashion' or 'environmental friendliness', but about 'can it carry cargo, can it make money, can it be trouble-free'. No matter how good a new energy heavy truck is, if it falls into a pit, it's very hard to get truckers to spend their hard-earned money to replace it. Today, let's talk about truckers' most honest thoughts and why most of them would rather keep driving old fuel-heavy trucks on long journeys than easily try new energy heavy trucks.

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The first hurdle is the seemingly insurmountable 'cost mountain' – cars are expensive, it's hard to break even, and there's a lot of risk. Truck drivers know that the industry has been tough in recent years, with low freight rates and unstable cargo sources, meaning every penny counts. Buying a truck is a major investment affecting the whole family's livelihood. Let's do some quick math: a standard diesel heavy truck costs around 300,000 yuan, while a comparable pure electric heavy truck is priced at about 600,000-700,000 yuan. (Of course, the list price isn't the same as the on-road price. Right now, mainstream brands like FAW Jiefang and Shaanxi Heavy Duty trucks have diesel trucks priced around 200,000-300,000 yuan, and some 400 kWh pure electric trucks from dealers actually cost between 430,000 and 460,000 yuan)

Some people say 'there are policy subsidies', but subsidies are also 'limited resources for many people'. Either local subsidies come with various restrictions, or after subsidies decrease, the cost of buying a truck rebounds directly. Of course, what worries truck drivers even more is the payback period. For regular fuel-heavy trucks, normal operations can recover the cost in 1-2 years (provided cargo sources are stable and freight rates are normal, like main fuel heavy trucks such as the Jiefang J6P for short-distance fixed cargo delivery, with a monthly net profit of 15,000-20,000 yuan, deducting the monthly payment, a 1-2 year payback is normal in the industry). For new energy heavy trucks, the payback period stretches to 3-4 years, and if there are issues with cargo sources or freight rates drop, drivers might not even be able to repay their loans.

▎Charging and range are a big headache

Besides costs, what makes truck drivers hesitant to switch to new energy heavy trucks is the 'tough problem' of energy supply — hard to charge, hard to change batteries — long trips feel like 'a gamble with luck'. Independent drivers who run transport are most concerned about uptime; every minute the truck is stopped is a minute of lost income. Fuel-heavy trucks can be refuelled in 5 minutes, at any service area or gas station, even in remote areas, without worrying about running out of fuel. But the experience of charging or refuelling new energy heavy trucks is just 'torture' for truck drivers.

Currently, 80% of commercial vehicle charging and battery swap stations in China are concentrated in enclosed areas like ports and mines (new energy heavy trucks currently have a higher penetration rate in these closed scenarios, exceeding 60%). Right now, truck drivers using new energy heavy trucks on intercity routes or remote roads will find it quite difficult to locate a commercial vehicle-specific charging pile. Most charging piles in highway service areas are designed for passenger cars, with lower power, meaning fast charging a heavy truck takes 30-60 minutes, and slow charging can take several hours, making timely delivery hard to guarantee. While battery swapping is fast, taking only five minutes, there are even fewer swap stations, and manufacturers' swapping standards are not unified. A vehicle from one manufacturer cannot use another manufacturer's swap station, creating a sort of "island-like" operation, which isn’t practical for truck drivers. Truck drivers in northern regions have even more concerns about new energy heavy trucks — in the cold winter, battery range drops sharply and malfunctions are more likely. In the north, winter temperatures can drop to minus 10s or 20s Celsius, causing the battery in new energy heavy trucks to lose power quickly, slashing range by 30%-50% (models like Dongfeng Ruidida have some adaptability between -21℃ and -12℃ extreme cold, but ordinary new energy heavy trucks typically see a 30%-50% reduction in range, which aligns with the real experience of northern drivers).

▎Residual value estimation is unclear

Besides that, issues with maintenance guarantees and second-hand residual values make truck drivers even more concerned. Fuel heavy trucks have been around for years, with mature maintenance technology, easily available parts, low costs, and short repair times. But the three-electric system of new energy heavy trucks (battery, motor, electric control) is complex, and ordinary repair shops can't handle it, so they have to rely on the manufacturer's technicians. This not only means longer repair times but also expensive repair costs; a minor fault can cost thousands, and if the battery or motor fails, the repair cost can be as much as a second-hand fuel truck.

Even more worrying for drivers is the second-hand residual value. After three to five years of use, fuel heavy trucks can retain over half of their value, while new energy heavy trucks have low retention rates due to battery degradation and lack of standardisation. When changing vehicles, drivers usually opt for 'trade-in.' If the old new energy truck can't fetch a good price, investing in a new one becomes much bigger, resulting in a double loss, which no driver wants to risk.

▎Summary

Some say new energy heavy trucks are the future trend — environmentally friendly with low long-term operating costs. Drivers do recognise this trend and aren't against supporting environmental protection, but for them, running freight first requires solving survival issues — whether they can make money and support their families. The manufacturer's slogans like 'save fuel money' and 'policy subsidies' sound tempting, but in actual operation, costs, charging, maintenance, and other issues make it hard to truly benefit drivers.

Truck drivers are reluctant to switch to new energy heavy trucks not because they are stubborn or old-fashioned, but because they can't afford to take the risk. If one day new energy heavy trucks can offer: a purchase price similar to diesel trucks, a payback period within 2 years, batteries that no longer cause 'loss per ton', charging and swapping stations along every main route, easy maintenance, guaranteed residual value, and stable operation in cold winter conditions without extra risk and cost to drivers, I believe the vast majority would be willing to try switching to new energy heavy trucks. For truck drivers, choosing a truck is not about 'sentiment', it's about 'practicality'. The development path of new energy heavy trucks is still long. To truly gain drivers' recognition and acceptance, extensive publicity and temporary policy subsidies are far from enough. The key is to genuinely address the pain points that drivers care about, allowing them to haul, earn money, and support their families with new energy trucks without worry. This is the real reason truck drivers are hesitant to switch to new energy heavy trucks—not because they don't dream of a greener transport future, but because the current concerns are just too heavy.