Global sales of medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks hit a record in the first half of 2026, with nearly 160,000 units sold — roughly 75% more than in the same period a year earlier, according to BloombergNEF. The increase extends a multi-year upward trend, and rising diesel prices tied to the Iran war are strengthening the economic case for battery-powered trucks, which cost more upfront but are cheaper to operate and maintain.
China dominates the market, accounting for more than nine out of ten global e-truck sales, supported by strong policies and an extensive battery supply chain. About one in five trucks sold in China is electric, and that share is even higher in Norway and Switzerland. Chinese exports of electric tractor trucks in the first half of 2026 more than doubled the total for all of 2025, according to Bloomberg News.
The U.S. picture is far weaker. BloombergNEF describes the country's battery-electric truck market as near a standstill, citing the elimination of federal tax credits, frozen grants, and the rollback of California's authority to set its own truck emissions standards. Still, California has committed billions of dollars in incentives and leads the nation in zero-emissions heavy-duty trucks, and Tesla has begun mass production of its electric semi at a Nevada factory, with a price that BNEF's industry interviews call competitive.