Peterbilt has added an EV Operating Cost Calculator to its website to help prospective electric vehicle customers compare electric trucks to conventional models.

The operating cost calculator allows prospective customers to evaluate the total cost of ownership of a Peterbilt Model 220EV, 520EVor 579EV on a per-mile (on-highway applications) or per-hour basis (vocational applications).

The calculator shows a side-by-side comparison, illustrating power consumption and fuel costs between electric and diesel vehicles for multiple configurations.

Customers can choose between using the convenient slider functionality or directly input their own data for key variables such as mileage per year, electricity cost, vehicle price, charging stations, rebates and other expenses such as annual maintenance and insurance. The calculator automatically populates the costs as users complete each section and provides a detailed summary once complete that outlines total electric costs and operating cost per vehicle.

Robert Woodall, Peterbilt assistant general manager for sales and marketing, explained that the number one question customers ask about electric vehicles “always revolves around the operating cost. Our new EV Operating Cost Calculator answers this question, making it easier than ever to evaluate if adding electric vehicles to your fleet is right for your business.”

Peterbilt opened orders for its electric trucks last year. It started taking orders for the Model 220EV in August, with deliveries that were expected to begin by the end of 2020. Orders opened in the fall for the Model 520EV and Model 579EV; Peterbilt expects to start production in the second quarter.