What the Commercial EV Industry Got Wrong and How to Fix It

This shortcoming is dramatically starker in the commercial sector where class 1-8 commercial vehicles including electric semis, work trucks and panel vans have yet to crack 1% adoption nationwide. Yes: In 2025, less than 1% of all commercial vehicles on U.S. roads are fully electric.

All this despite the fact that the vehicles exist, and work, and the cultural yearning for cleaner commerce exists.

So what happened?

Why did commercial EV adoption stall? What went wrong? What steps were skipped that we need to honor to get it right this time?

At Range Truck Group, we’ve asked ourselves these questions. A lot. In fact, answering them is the reason our company is here today.

Understanding the Adoption Curve

Every new technology follows a fairly predictable adoption curve: first the enthusiasts jump on board, then the visionaries, the pragmatists, the conservatives and finally the laggards (if a technology can reach mainstream adoption, that is). On the way to mainstream adoption are a couple common stages with, we think, very apt names.

• The Peak of Inflated Expectations (aka Hype Stage)
• The Trough of Disillusionment (aka Post-Hype aka The “Chasm”)

If a technology reaches the early majority (the pragmatists), that’s the promised land, which has its own fantastic name: The Slope of Enlightenment. But to reach the critical “tipping point” of 5% adoption in any industry, three things are needed: hype to create belief, a functioning technology, and (this one’s critical) the infrastructure to allow that technology to be tried and tested. If any of these three are missing, technology will struggle to escape the Trough of Disillusionment.

Sound familiar?

The early 2010s brought plenty of hype to the commercial EV world. And soon thereafter followed functional technology. But the critical third piece was missing.

When Hype Outpaces Reality

There are reasons people get excited about innovation—it offers advantages; it signals progress. But hype without execution is merely noise. And in the case of early commercial EV efforts, that noise translated into premature investment, misguided optimism, and a lot of unmet expectations i.e. disillusionment.

Yes, cultural buy-in is important to change. But hype, when it “outkicks its coverage,” builds energy without a constructive outlet. The commercial EV space quickly became crowded with underqualified startups, overvalued promises, and solutions that didn’t actually solve the right problems.

“The industry over-indexed on its own excitement and jumped to proclamations of a ‘certain’ future. In doing so, it forgot what matters most, which is not how cool the innovation is but instead, does it solve a customer problem?” – Johannes Ariens, CEO, Range Truck Group

Interestingly though, the technology itself—the vehicles—made quick gains. Soon the gap between the cultural expectations and the technology was shrunk to nominal. The only missing ingredient was the infrastructure. Businesses couldn’t try and test commercial EVs for themselves without massive up-front investments in private charging and other infrastructure.

Businesses Going Electric Face a Higher Barrier to Entry

Unlike consumers—who might splurge on a new EV just because they want to—business owners with commercial vehicles don’t make decisions on emotion alone. Their trucks are often the backbone of their operations. They need to be reliable. And every dollar spent on equipment and infrastructure must have a business case behind it, often tied wholly to financial pragmatics (although branding and marketing leverage is also a viable reason). In short, businesses don’t just need to believe in EVs—they need to justify them in the context of their business in order to invest.

That’s been, historically, a hard sell:

• Cost: Switching to EVs has historically required significant capital outlay. A single electric semi truck can cost $300,000 or more. Add to that the infrastructure—charging stations, battery management, storage—and the total investment can stretch well over $1 million for even a small, 2-3 vehicle fleet.

• Weak Business Case (Until Now): Cost savings, reliability, and marketing value all matter, but in early years, EVs weren’t clearly better than diesel when it came to the bottom line. Today, that’s changing, but the damage from earlier missteps still lingers and consumers remain extremely sceptical.

The Market Gap: Belief vs. Business Reality

In between the desire for zero emissions transport and the fully capable commercial EVs that are currently being produced is a gap—a vacuum of dead space that’s been uncrossable for many businesses. On one side is the cultural momentum behind cleaner transport, sustainability goals, and ESG pressure. On the other side is the financial and operational reality for small fleet owners. That tension—between want and can’t—is exactly where the first wave of commercial EVs got stuck.

“At Range, we appreciate that adopting a new technology of any kind into your business is a big deal, especially when your daily operation and success rely directly on it. The commercial EV industry has asked you to make the jump and regularly wonders why you are hesitating, meanwhile you haven’t even been given a way to try it first. That won’t get the job done. We are here to change that.” – Johannes Ariens, CEO, Range Truck Group 

But what if there was a way to try commercial EVs without pot-committing to the infrastructure? And what if the business case for using EVs over gas—cost savings, time savings, and business advantages spanning marketing, operations and beyond—was undeniable?

How Range Truck Group Bridges the Gap

Range was founded to solve the very problems the industry couldn’t—or wouldn’t. We’ve walked in the shoes of the small fleet owner, and we understand that making EVs work for businesses means removing friction.

Here’s how we do that:

1. Lowering the Financial Barrier to Entry

You shouldn’t have to bet the farm to try EVs. That’s why we provide rental first programs that let fleet operators rent or lease vehicles before committing. We also provide the infrastructure—charging, support, and storage—so you don’t have to invest in private infrastructure on day one.

2. Clarifying the Business Case

A better truck isn’t just cleaner—it’s smarter. With maintenance costs 40%–70% lower than traditional diesel models and gas savings that add up fast, the ROI has tipped in favor of EVs. You know your routes, your monthly mileage and your annual maintenance and gas costs. Quick napkin math (or excel math) can tell you how the savings will net out over the course of a year, or three, or five. And we’re happy to help create and explain this breakdown, so you can make decisions with confidence.

3. Providing Infrastructure + Reliability

Reliability is non-negotiable for business owners. We get that. Same here. Range trucks are sourced from premium OEMs only who engineer their products with uptime in mind. And our network of support ensures that your EVs stay on the road and out of the shop. But perhaps the main concern fleet managers bring up is range—how far can the vehicles go on a single charge? This is where most businesses actually have a distinct advantage over consumer EV drivers. Businesses know their routes. They know their daily mileage. It’s very predictable. You can plan around that predictability. Generally speaking a commercial EV truck can go 100-150 miles per charge. If your average route is below that. It makes not switching to EVs certifiable professional malpractice. 

4. Unlocking Brand Advantage

Going electric isn’t just a financial move—it’s a marketing one. For many SMBs and delivery services, being able to promote your environmental commitment is a powerful differentiator in a competitive landscape. This is especially true for businesses with a local footprint that position themselves as staples within a place-based community. 

“We know most fleets are small and often don’t have dedicated fleet managers but do demand nearly 100% uptime.  This is where we shine, with 40-60% less maintenance, specialized EV field-service capability, and over-the-air monitoring we’ve got you covered.” – Johannes Ariens, CEO, Range Truck Group

The Road to 5% Adoption and Beyond

The second wave of commercial EV adoption is here—and it’s going to look very different than the first. We’re not pushing idealism. We’re providing options. Letting customers start small, test EVs, and gradually scale, while supporting every part of the transition including making the initial business case for switching, and (this is crucial) providing the infrastructure for trialing EVs.

The trucks are here. Now, a partner that de-risks trying these trucks is here, too. 

We’re called Range Truck Group.