Fleet Electrification ROI Calculator
Model a phased fleet conversion: capex, charging, demand charges, payback and carbon
The fleet
Loads typical values. All stay editable.
The main driver of the result.
EIA (verified 2026-08-16).
Use your own records if you have them.
The electric replacement
Only the difference between the two matters.
Federal 45W ended for vehicles acquired after 30 Sept 2025. State programs may apply.
US commercial average, EIA (verified 2026-08-16).
Charging and rollout
Level 2 typically $3,500-$15,000 installed. Civil and electrical work dominate.
Billed on peak kW, not energy. Often what decides the project.
The business case
Cumulative cash flow
Amber while the fleet is still paying back its capex, green once it is ahead.
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The two line items everyone forgets
Charging infrastructure. The vehicles get the attention, but the depot is where projects stall. Hardware is usually the smallest part of a port's installed cost — trenching, conduit, switchgear and utility service upgrades dominate, and the utility's timeline is not yours to control. Budget for it as a distinct capex line, which is why it is a separate input here rather than folded into the vehicle price.
Demand charges. Commercial tariffs bill on your highest fifteen-minute draw as well as your total consumption. Ten vans charging simultaneously at 19 kW is a 190 kW peak, and at $15 per kW that is nearly $3,000 a month before a single kilowatt hour is counted. Staggered charging, load management software and on-site storage all cut it. Put your utility's number in and see what it does to the payback year — on a marginal project it is frequently the deciding factor.
Why phase rather than convert at once
Replacing vehicles on their natural cycle means you pay only the difference between an electric vehicle and the internal-combustion one you would have bought anyway. Converting early means writing off serviceable assets, and that difference is usually larger than any fuel saving. Phasing also spreads the charging capex and lets you prove the duty cycle on your easiest routes first.
Where the numbers come from
- Fuel carbon: EPA — gasoline 8.887 kg CO2/gallon, diesel 10.21 kg/gallon.
- Grid carbon: EPA eGRID2023 Revision 2, by subregion.
- Energy prices: EIA, commercial rate for depot charging (verified 2026-08-16).
- Light-duty maintenance: Argonne National Laboratory — 10.1 cents per mile for internal combustion, 6.1 for battery electric.
- Medium and heavy-duty figures are indicative planning values rather than a cited dataset, which is why every one of them is editable. If you have real numbers from your own maintenance records, they will beat these.
How to Use This Calculator
- Describe the fleet. Size, vehicle class and annual miles per vehicle. Mileage is the main driver of the result: an electric vehicle recovers its price premium through use, so high-mileage duty cycles convert first.
- Enter your current running costs. Fuel economy, fuel price and maintenance per mile. If you have real maintenance data from your own records, use it - the defaults are indicative planning figures.
- Cost the charging infrastructure. Ports needed and installed cost per port. Level 2 depot charging typically runs $3,500 to $15,000 per port installed, with electrical make-ready and civil work driving most of it rather than the hardware.
- Add your demand charge. Commercial electricity bills include a charge based on your highest fifteen-minute draw, not just energy used. A depot charging ten vans at once can add thousands a month. This is the field most fleet calculators leave out entirely.
- Set the phase-in and read the cash flow. Converting over five years spreads both the vehicle premium and the infrastructure spend. The chart shows cumulative cash flow year by year, crossing from red to green at payback.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does fleet electrification take to pay back?
For a high-mileage light commercial fleet, typically three to six years. A cargo van driven 18,000 miles a year at 14 MPG burns roughly $5,150 of gasoline; the electric equivalent uses about 9,900 kWh at a commercial rate of 13.5 cents, around $1,340. Add lower maintenance and each van saves close to $4,900 a year, which recovers a $20,000 price premium in about four years before charging infrastructure is counted.
How much should I budget for depot charging?
Level 2 ports for overnight depot charging run roughly $3,500 to $15,000 each installed, with $6,000 a reasonable planning figure. DC fast charging is $18,000 to well over $100,000 per port. The hardware is usually the smallest line item - electrical make-ready and civil work typically drive fifty to seventy percent of the total, and utility service upgrades can add months to the schedule.
What are demand charges and will they wreck the business case?
Commercial electricity bills include a charge based on your highest fifteen-minute power draw in the month, separate from the energy you consume. A depot charging ten vans simultaneously at 19 kW each creates a 190 kW peak that can add thousands of dollars a month. Staggered overnight charging, managed charging software and on-site battery storage all reduce it. Enter your utility's charge above and watch what it does to the payback - it is often the difference between a good and a bad project.
Are federal incentives still available for commercial EVs?
No. The Section 45W commercial clean vehicle credit, worth up to $7,500 for lighter vehicles and $40,000 for those over 14,000 lb GVWR, was terminated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for vehicles acquired after 30 September 2025. State and regional programs remain the main source - California's HVIP, New York's Truck Voucher Incentive Program and various utility make-ready programs still fund a meaningful share of both the vehicle premium and the charging infrastructure.
Should I convert the whole fleet at once?
Almost never. A phased rollout matches your natural replacement cycle, so you pay only the incremental price premium rather than writing off serviceable vehicles. It spreads the charging infrastructure spend, and it lets you validate duty cycles on the easiest routes before committing. Start with the highest-mileage, most predictable, return-to-base routes: that is where the fuel savings are largest and the range risk is lowest.