US Startup Adds Another 2,000 Electric Trucks To FedEx Delivery Fleet

FedEx has ordered 2,000 electric delivery trucks from the California startup Harbinger, one of the largest single orders for medium- or heavy-duty electric trucks on record. The trucks are Class 5 and 6 vehicles, the size used for local pickup and delivery routes, and FedEx plans to retire an equal number of its diesel trucks as the new ones arrive. Harbinger expects all 2,000 to be on the road by the end of 2027, and estimates the switch will save FedEx more than $800 million in fuel costs over the trucks' 20-year working life.

This is part of a broader push toward electric work vehicles as fuel prices have climbed since the federal EV tax credit of up to $7,500 ended a year ago. A trucking group called the Alliance, whose members include Microsoft and PepsiCo, recently ordered 2,500 Class 8 electric trucks from Tesla, which just started production at a new truck factory in Sparks, Nevada. Separately, the Detroit-based company Workhorse announced an order for 200 electric step-vans, built at a plant in Union City, Indiana.

None of this involves a program or rebate tied to home energy upgrades. It mainly signals that electric trucks are moving from pilot projects to large fleet orders for delivery and freight companies, which could mean more electric trucks and vans on local roads in the coming years.