Electric trucks are beginning to challenge diesel on operating costs in Chile, especially for companies covering high mileage. Hernán Searle, owner and general manager of Trailer Logistics, says the numbers are starting to favor electric trucks on demanding routes.
“Relying solely on oil is becoming a riskier proposition for heavy transport,” Searle says. His company serves major retail and mining clients and has already put electric trucks to work on demanding routes. The upfront price of an electric tractor unit remains higher, at around $200,000 compared with $130,000 to $180,000 for a new diesel model. But the calculation is shifting. The real battleground is cost per kilometer, where electric is closing the gap quickly.
Cost Per Kilometer: The New Metric
Searle’s figures put a typical diesel truck in Chile at about CLP 400 per kilometer, based on fuel prices near CLP 1,200 per liter and fuel efficiency of 2 to 3 kilometers per liter. That estimate reflects the most efficient end of the range: under those assumptions, diesel fuel costs roughly CLP 400 to CLP 600 per kilometer. Figures attributed to the Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (INE), from the national trucking cost index, show that fuel accounts for 27.27% of costs, second only to labor at 43.08%. The same figures show fuel costs rose 36.8% between December 2025 and September 2026. The Comisión Nacional de Energía reported an average diesel price of CLP 1,222 per liter in August 2026. Empresa Nacional del Petróleo publishes weekly estimates of price changes but does not set retail prices.
Electric trucks, by contrast, are estimated to use 1 to 1.3 kWh per kilometer, with electricity priced at CLP 200 to CLP 300 per kWh in Searle’s comparison. That puts energy costs at about CLP 200 to CLP 390 per kilometer before charging losses or demand-related fees. A saving of around CLP 100 per kilometer is possible under favorable conditions, including a competitive electricity tariff. Actual costs vary with route and vehicle efficiency, and charging arrangements also matter.
The higher purchase price remains a hurdle, but Searle argues that fleets covering more than 10,000 kilometers a month could recoup the investment in as little as two to three years. The payback depends on operating conditions as well as energy prices. A full fleet comparison also needs to account for charger installation and financing, along with maintenance, payload, battery degradation and downtime. Chile’s wider electric-vehicle market offers another sign of momentum: Asociación Nacional Automotriz de Chile figures show 30,322 new light and medium zero- or low-emission vehicles sold in the first half of 2026, up 105% year over year. Those sales are distinct from heavy tractor-unit adoption, where charging requirements and route economics differ, and payload also matters.
Range and Charging: Overcoming the Distance Barrier
For long-haul operators, range anxiety is a real concern. Searle says a typical highway driver in Chile covers 500 to 700 kilometers a day, making short-range electric trucks impractical on many routes. Trailer Logistics has turned to Windrose. Its E670 model has a 705.2 kWh LFP battery and a loaded range of 670 kilometers. It uses 1.05 kWh per kilometer. The truck is certified for use in Europe and the US, with certification also covering China, Chile and Australia. It supports both MCS and CCS fast-charging standards.
Infrastructure is also catching up. Enel X has announced plans to build Chile’s first high-power electric highway for trucks along the Ruta 5 Sur. Ultra-fast charging stations of up to 600 kW are planned between Santiago and Chillán, with the route set to open in May 2026. The project could help logistics companies expand their electric fleets.
Early Adoption: Retail and Mining Lead the Way
Trailer Logistics currently operates 50 trucks, including two electric units on trial. One serves major retailers in central Chile, including Cencosud and Walmart, as well as Tottus. The other hauls copper for Codelco from Antofagasta to port. Despite this progress, Chile’s electric truck market remains in its infancy, with only a handful of units on the road compared with 156,000 diesel trucks recorded by the INE in 2021. Searle expects the number of electric trucks to reach around 50 by early next year.
Mining projects in Tarapacá offer another way to electrify heavy-duty transport: focus on predictable, high-load sections instead of replacing every vehicle across an entire journey. One project connects 365-ton trucks to a renewable-energy-powered overhead line along a one-kilometer stretch. Reported results include a rise in climbing speed from 11 to 25 kilometers per hour. Diesel consumption on that section fell by about 98%.
For Searle, the real risk now lies in relying on diesel as the sole energy source. Oil-price volatility can erode margins and complicate client contracts, making diversification a strategic choice as well as a green one.
Chile’s changing transport sector reflects wider moves toward sustainable logistics, much like agricultural innovations in the region. The celebrated tomato harvests in Málaga’s Guadalhorce Valley have become a focus for local producers and culinary events, as detailed in this feature on Málaga’s signature tomato season.
