Why Are We Still Selling Big Trucks During a Battery Shortage?

Examining why automakers prioritize large electric trucks despite global battery supply challenges.

By Sneha Tete, Integrated MA, Certified Relationship Coach

Created on Sep 27, 2025

Examining why automakers prioritize large electric trucks despite global battery supply challenges.

The transition to electric vehicles is often hailed as a major step toward sustainability, but the simultaneous rise of large electric trucks and SUVs raises critical questions. Amid a persistent global battery shortage and a host of resource and environmental constraints, automotive manufacturers continue to focus on selling big electric trucks. This article explores the reasons behind that focus, the consequences for battery availability, climate goals, and the broader impacts on society, drawing on industry trends and expert analysis.

The State of Battery Supply: A Shortage Spanning Continents

Batteries are the cornerstone of the electric vehicle (EV) revolution. Yet, their supply is constrained by:

Limited lithium and critical mineral resources: Mining and refining capacity for lithium, cobalt, and nickel lags behind demand.
Manufacturing bottlenecks: Battery factories are costly and take years to ramp up.
Supply chain disruptions: Geopolitical tensions, pandemic logistics issues, and regional instability all restrict the flow of raw materials and components.

The International Energy Agency reports that electric truck battery demand grew over 70% year-over-year in 2024, jumping from 14 to 24 gigawatt-hours. But those batteries are going into larger vehicles, which consume far more resources per unit.

Manufacturer Motivation: Why Big Trucks?

Profit Margins: Large trucks and SUVs traditionally bring higher returns for automakers compared to compact cars.
Consumer Preferences: In North America, buyers still overwhelmingly favor pickups and sport-utility vehicles for their perceived utility, status, and safety.
Regulatory Credits: Larger vehicles can help automakers meet fleet-wide average emissions targets, leveraging tax incentives and credits even if net environmental gains are limited.
Brand Identity: Trucks and SUVs are central to the public image and marketing strategy of leading U.S. automakers.

For instance, the Ford F-150 Lightning—a best-selling EV truck—saw sales leap 39% year-over-year, while the new Tesla Cybertruck registered approximately 39,000 units in its first full year. But each Cybertruck uses a battery pack up to 123 kilowatt-hours, and the Silverado EV can top 200 kWh, dramatically increasing the battery weight and resource intensity per vehicle compared to smaller models.

How Truck Size Magnifies Battery Demand

Vehicle Model	Battery Pack (kWh)	Units Sold (2024)
Chevy Silverado EV	Up to 200	Undisclosed (smaller than F-150/Cybertruck)
Tesla Cybertruck	Up to 123	~39,000
Ford F-150 Lightning	Up to 131	33,510

Compared to smaller EVs, these trucks use 2-3 times more battery material per unit. Thus, if battery production is limited, prioritizing big trucks displaces the possible production of many smaller, more sustainable vehicles, public transit buses, or energy storage packs for renewables.

Opportunity Cost: What Could We Do With Those Batteries Instead?

More Compact Cars: A single truck battery could power two or three compact EVs—greening the road for more total users.
Public Transit & Micromobility: Buses, delivery vans, and urban rideshare EVs need less battery per vehicle while moving more people or goods daily.
Grid Storage for Renewables: Many gigawatt-hours of battery supply could be deployed as stationary storage, supporting wind and solar and reducing grid emissions for everyone.

Instead, as automakers prioritize big, heavy consumer trucks, they amplify the resource demands and reduce the potential system-wide climate benefits from limited battery supply.

Environmental Costs and Greenwashing Concerns

The popular narrative presents electric trucks as a sustainable alternative to diesel pickups. The reality is more complex:

Production Emissions: Larger batteries require more mining, smelting, and manufacturing, resulting in higher emissions ‘upstream’ before a truck ever leaves the factory floor.
Vehicle Weight & Efficiency: Big trucks are heavier and less aerodynamic, so they consume more energy per mile—even when powered by electricity—increasing ongoing emissions depending on the grid mix.
Land and Water Use: Extracting minerals for each additional battery means new mines, water risks, and environmental disruption in supply regions.

Moreover, critics argue that the focus on large EV trucks ‘greenwashes’ automotive marketing, presenting the shift as sustainable while diverting scarce resources from higher-impact applications.

Semi Trucks: Scaling Challenges, Limited Adoption

Heavy-duty electric trucks (Class 8) face their own hurdles:

As of early 2024, only 13,000 electric trucks are operating in U.S. fleets out of 12.2 million total—just 0.1% market penetration.
Manufacturers struggle with battery capacity, weight, and range. For example, Daimler’s lithium iron phosphate batteries promise longer range but remain too heavy and inconsistent across climates.
Charging infrastructure for semis is lagging, with only 35 Class 8 charging stations for 4 million semis.
Despite bold claims (e.g., Tesla’s promised 50,000 Semis per year), only ~100 Tesla Semi trucks have been delivered to date.

The cost, complexity, and slow rollout suggest that battery supply may be better spent electrifying urban fleets, buses, and smaller trucks before focusing on long-haul big rigs. With battery technology advancing slowly (li-ion is already near its energy-density limits), the greatest climate benefit comes from efficient allocation of scarce capacity.

Global Perspectives: Lessons from China

While North America focuses on big trucks and passenger vehicles, China demonstrates alternative approaches:

Battery-Electric Truck Adoption: In early 2025, battery-electric trucks reached 22% market share, up from 8.6% a year earlier.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Fleets see 10%–26% cost savings over diesel models, helping adoption.
Battery Swapping Technology: Standardized, swappable battery packs help shift the battery cost burden from fleet owners to station operators, shortening payback periods and boosting uptake.
LNG Truck Decline: Electrification is quickly eating into the market for liquefied natural gas trucks as price differentials narrow.

China’s bullish electrification targets—battery-electric trucks projected to capture 50%–80% of heavy-duty sales by 2028—owe much to supportive policy, advanced infrastructure, and rapid technology deployment. North America’s reliance on consumer preference and higher-margin vehicles stands in stark contrast.

Infrastructure: The Bottleneck Beyond Batteries

Even where batteries are available, electrification faces infrastructure barriers:

Charging Station Shortages: The buildout of DC fast-charging and dedicated heavy-truck stations lags far behind vehicle sales, especially in rural areas.
Grid Capacity and Upgrades: The additional load from electrifying trucks strains current electrical grids, requiring major investments.
Resource Security: U.S. automakers struggle to source domestic minerals needed for batteries, risking long-term supply instability.

The mismatch between vehicle rollouts, charging infrastructure, and upstream material availability means that big EV trucks sometimes serve more as symbols than as practical climate solutions.

Questions of Equity and Public Benefit

Large electric trucks are marketed primarily to affluent buyers and businesses, raising important questions:

Who benefits from current EV allocations? Prioritizing big, expensive trucks widens the gap between those who can afford new technology and those left out.
Communities and climate justice: Urban areas need cleaner buses and affordable compact EVs far more than more luxury trucks.
Opportunity cost: Batteries deployed for grid storage or mass transit could multiply emissions reductions versus private truck sales.

Possible Solutions and Policy Interventions

Shift Incentives: Target subsidies and tax credits toward smaller vehicles, mass transit, and public fleets instead of private high-margin trucks and SUVs.
Support Battery Recycling and Innovation: Encourage development of recycling infrastructure and alternative chemistries to stretch limited supply.
Expand Charging Networks: Accelerate deployment of charging and swapping stations, especially for public and heavy-duty urban vehicles.
Set Fleet Emission Targets: Require a minimum proportion of small, high-efficiency vehicles in manufacturer fleets to improve sustainability.

Policy and market changes must resolve the tension between profit-driven truck sales and the broader public benefits of electric mobility and climate action. Without intervention, scarce batteries will continue to go disproportionately to the largest, most resource-intensive vehicles.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why do automakers prioritize large electric trucks over smaller cars?

Higher profit margins, consumer demand, and regulatory credit opportunities drive automakers to focus on big trucks and SUVs, even when smaller EVs would spread battery resources more efficiently.

Why is there a global battery shortage?

Limited mining, refining, and production capacity for lithium, cobalt, and other key minerals, along with manufacturing and logistics bottlenecks, restrict battery supply worldwide.

Are electric trucks a sustainable solution?

Electric trucks reduce tailpipe emissions but require much larger batteries and more resources than compact EVs. Environmental benefits depend on grid mix, upstream emissions, and how batteries are allocated across transportation needs.

How is China approaching electric truck adoption differently?

China leverages policy, infrastructure, and battery-swapping technology to accelerate heavy-duty truck electrification. Lower operating costs and standardized batteries further boost adoption.

What should policymakers do?

Policymakers can steer incentives toward smaller, more efficient vehicles, mass transit, and public charging infrastructure to maximize the social and climate benefits of limited battery supplies.

Conclusion

The ongoing battery shortage is a critical constraint on the climate transition. As manufacturers double down on large electric trucks and SUVs, they shape both the technical and social direction of electrification—often at the expense of equity and efficiency. To align policy, infrastructure, and resource allocation with public benefit, decision-makers must rethink priorities and promote a sustainable, inclusive approach to electric mobility and battery supply.

References

Author

Sneha TeteBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Sneha is a relationships and lifestyle writer with a strong foundation in applied linguistics and certified training in relationship coaching. She brings over five years of writing experience to thebridalbox, crafting thoughtful, research-driven content that empowers readers to build healthier relationships, boost emotional well-being, and embrace holistic living.

Read full bio of Sneha Tete