NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Diesel vans reached 11.5 miles per gallon and a Tesla Semi ran 460 miles on a single cost throughout NACFE’s 18-day “Run on Much less – Messy Center” demonstration, probably the most detailed real-world powertrain examine but launched at TMC 2026.
The North American Council for Freight Effectivity’s 277-page operations report analyzed 14 Class 8 tractors throughout diesel, compressed pure fuel, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains. The take a look at generated 2.2 million strains of knowledge from 73,000 miles of precise freight hauling and challenges long-held assumptions about which applied sciences are really prepared for the highway.
“This can be a vital evaluation of duty-cycle match for these options,” NACFE Govt Director Mike Roeth mentioned throughout a information convention. “The place are fleets selecting battery-electric, hydrogen, pure fuel, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and the way are they going to work of their operations?”
The report is the second installment in NACFE’s “Run on Much less – Messy Center” sequence. It contains 28 “boots-on-the-ground” quotes from drivers, fleet managers and infrastructure personnel.
Methodology: Deep Knowledge from 73,000 Miles
NACFE collected information each 10 seconds through the September demonstration. The group then introduced 26 teams to Boulder, Colorado, for a two-day evaluate, with a “judges panel” of main fleets — Amazon, Penske, J.B. Hunt, Covenant and Pitt Ohio — evaluating the outcomes.
“When you will have 2 million information factors and you’ve got 14 totally different vans and 13 totally different fleets and 14 totally different appointments, there’s plenty of methods you may analyze the information,” NACFE Director of Applications Dean Bushey mentioned.
The 14 vans coated the total spectrum of Class 8 responsibility cycles: long-haul irregular routes with sleeper cabs, return-to-base regional hauls, and metropolis supply runs as quick as 100 miles a day.
“What I discovered actually attention-grabbing is that we have been both fortunate or by selecting these powertrains it occurred, however we coated the basic market very well for freight motion with these 14 vans,” Roeth mentioned. “This group that we had within the run truly mimics the business very well.” The vans symbolize the roughly 1.8 million to 2 million Class 8 heavy tractors hauling dry vans, reefers and flatbeds nationwide.
The take a look at included 4 diesel vans, three pure fuel vans, 5 battery-electric autos and two hydrogen fuel-cell models. At Saia’s Stockton, California, terminal, the fleet added two Tesla Semis — one for pickup-and-delivery, the opposite slip-seated between long-distance less-than-truckload runs and native supply on a second shift.
Diesel Efficiency Shatters Expectations
Two of the 4 diesel vans hit 11.5 mpg; the opposite two reached 9.5 mpg. That far exceeds the nationwide common of seven mpg, which itself has climbed from 6 mpg over the previous 15 years.
“I stood up in Atlanta and yelled 10 mile per gallon,” Roeth recalled of the 2017 Run on Much less. “Spoiler alert: we had two vans on this run that did 11.5. And people of us which were round for some time would have thought that was full bullshit, not doable. Possibly for those who have been going downhill empty, however they hauled actual freight at these sorts of numbers.”
Roeth’s takeaway: “My first large factor is on diesel vans, we’ve a number of gas economic system we are able to nonetheless get out, work with drivers, undertake extra of the applied sciences.”
Diesel additionally advantages from greater than 7,500 fueling stations and unmatched operational flexibility.
Pure Fuel Demonstrates Heavy-Haul Functionality
The three pure fuel vans featured the Cummins X15N 15-liter engine. Wegmans ran 130,000-pound masses every day throughout Northern New York — one of many hardest responsibility cycles within the take a look at.
Roeth highlighted three drivers of renewed curiosity: the purpose-built 15-liter engine, widespread renewable pure fuel availability, and improved fueling infrastructure.
“Should you can seize — I imply, we’re principally doing methane seize like carbon seize while you seize methane that’s leaving landfills, dairy farms, and so on., and use that within the vans. That’s a very good factor,” he mentioned.
The pure fuel vans posted 4.5 to six.7 mpg equal. Bushey cautioned that direct comparisons with diesel are deceptive: the UPS models pulled doubles and triples, transferring considerably extra freight weight.
Roughly 1,385 public CNG stations function nationwide, concentrated in California, Texas and main freight corridors.
Battery-Electrical Automobiles Present Fast Expertise Development
Tesla Semi and Windrose vans clearly outperformed Freightliner and Volvo battery-electric models on charging velocity and vary.
One Saia Tesla Semi coated 460 miles in a day shift on a single cost, then continued deliveries on a second shift with one other driver.
“That was at 750 kilowatt, and so they’re launching the semi at 1.2 megawatt,” Roeth mentioned. “They’re getting the Tesla Semi, which is only a prediction of the place battery-electric goes, can utterly cost for 400 or 500 miles in 20 to half-hour now. Lots of people don’t assume that’s actual. We’re right here to point out it and inform it’s actual.”
Each battery-electric and hydrogen vans used solely 63% of obtainable vary on common, a mirrored image of at present’s charging and hydrogen infrastructure reasonably than car limits.
Hydrogen Faces Demonstration-Scale Limitations
The 2 Hyundai XCIENT fuel-cell vans ran effectively however have been restricted by fueling availability. Penske and Pilot operated the tractors in Texas and California.
“The promise of hydrogen, I’d say, eludes us deal,” Roeth mentioned.
NACFE needed to scramble after Nikola’s chapter and Hyzon’s struggles; solely two fleets with Hyundai vans stepped ahead.
Sensible Takeaways for Fleets
Terrain sensitivity mattered: battery-electric autos misplaced extra effectivity on climbs than diesels, although they nonetheless beat diesel on flat floor. Driver conduct was one other large variable — the 11.5-mpg diesels got here partly from expert drivers, and battery-electric effectivity different with how exactly drivers held velocity on grades.
“The drivers should know the best way to drive the vans,” Bushey mentioned. “Tradition issues. I feel the fleet house owners and the fleet service folks really want to incentivize their folks on the market.”
The report concludes most fleets will run combined powertrains within the close to time period. Operators ought to weigh maturity, whole price of possession, responsibility cycle, infrastructure, laws, residual worth and repair networks.
The Bullish Case for Battery-Electrical
Regardless of at present’s hurdles, NACFE is unequivocal concerning the long-term winner.
“We consider strongly that battery electrical vans are our future,” Roeth mentioned. “It’s so easy. It’s environment friendly, it’s batteries, electronics, electrical motors. My 40-year profession, the aftertreatment price greater than the engine. And it’s rattling close to as large because the engine was 40 years in the past. These diesel vans are unbelievable, however they arrive with enormous complexity and big price and that’s solely going to worsen.”
Bushey added that speedy battery innovation — new chemistries, lighter packs, potential solid-state cells and sooner charging — helps that optimism.
“Battery electrical vans are a program administration and provide chain problem, not an engineering and expertise problem,” Roeth mentioned. “And batteries are getting higher and higher and higher.”
NACFE will launch the emissions report April 15, the associated fee evaluation Could 1 forward of ACT Expo, and last findings in June.
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