The skyrocketing price of diesel fuel, driven largely by President Donald Trump’s inability to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz after attacking Iran, is prompting many freight operators to consider adding electric vehicles to their fleets.

The average price of diesel in Colorado reached $6.05 a gallon last week, nearly double what it was a year ago.

Guillermo Ortiz, senior clean vehicles advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said electrifying the nation’s freight system would not only reduce harmful air pollution, it would boost the economy.

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“The opportunity to clean those up and invest in new technology provides new opportunities for jobs, new opportunities for growth,” Ortiz contended.

Because nearly everything Americans buy travels by truck at some point, rising freight costs are not limited to truckers. According to a Rocky Mountain Institute analysis, switching from diesel to electric heavy-duty vehicles would lower operating costs by up to 50%.

Colorado’s Clean Truck Strategy is working to assist the transition by investing in charging infrastructure, offering incentives to purchase zero-emission fleets and helping school districts and transit agencies switch to electric buses. A 2024 congressional report projected most heavy-duty EV trucks will cost less than their diesel counterparts by 2030 due to falling battery prices.

Critics of EVs have argued mining rare-earth minerals needed for batteries produces significant greenhouse gas emissions but Ortiz countered on the whole, EVs are a better long-term investment.

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“When you look at the life cycle emissions or how much is emitted from the creation of things like the battery all the way to the retirement of the vehicle, electric vehicles are overwhelmingly more environmentally safe than a diesel in comparison,” Ortiz pointed out.

Health risks associated with diesel emissions, which include respiratory and cardiovascular disease and cancer, disproportionately impact low-income communities living near industrial sites and highways. Ortiz added long-haul drivers have reported EVs are a big improvement over sitting on top of a turbulent diesel engine.

“It's a significantly smoother ride, which means less wear and tear on their body. They're not breathing in diesel emissions from the cabin of their truck all day," Ortiz emphasized. "That's good for not only your own personal health but also for community health as well.”