Driverless Trucks: The Tech Is Ready — But the Grid and Infrastructure Aren’t (2025.)

Milo Dubak
Oct 6
4 min read

Autonomous trucks are no longer a futuristic concept; they are a reality. They’re already on U.S. highways today — hauling freight, logging miles, and proving that the technology works. But while companies like Aurora, Kodiak, and Gatik are showing what’s possible, one central question remains:

Can America’s power grid and infrastructure handle a driverless, electric future?

At Pure Freight Lines, we’ve been closely watching the evolution of autonomous and electric trucking. The innovation is impressive, but as operators moving freight across the country every day, we see a much larger challenge ahead — not in the software or the sensors, but in the energy and infrastructure needed to power it all.

Driverless Trucks Are Already Here — But in Small Numbers

As of late 2025, only a limited number of fully driverless trucks are operating commercially:

Aurora runs driverless Class-8 tractors between Dallas and Houston — covering thousands of autonomous miles.
Kodiak Robotics hauls frac sand 24/7 across the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico.
Gatik operates autonomous box trucks for Walmart and Loblaw, running short, repeatable middle-mile routes.

The technology works — and it’s improving fast. However, scaling this into a nationwide, fully electric, autonomous trucking system requires something far bigger than AI: it demands massive power capacity and new infrastructure.

The Power Grid Problem

Everyone talks about artificial intelligence, but few talk about amperage.

A single heavy-duty truck charging depot could need 20+ megawatts of power — roughly what it takes to supply a small city. Multiply that by hundreds of depots across the country, and you quickly see the magnitude of the issue.The U.S. electrical grid — already strained in many regions — wasn’t built to support that kind of sustained, heavy load.

Key challenges include:

Infrastructure Lag: Utility companies can take 4–6 years to upgrade substations and transmission lines, while electric truck adoption is moving much faster.
Peak Load Stress: Charging dozens of trucks simultaneously could overload local distribution systems, causing voltage drops and reliability issues.
Charging Time: Even with high-speed chargers, fully recharging a 500-mile electric truck can take over an hour — unacceptable for long-haul operations.

The grid is the unseen bottleneck in the race toward autonomous and electric trucking. Until utilities, regulators, and private fleets invest in massive grid modernization, full electrification will remain out of reach.

Hydrogen: The Potential Alternative for Long-Haul Freight

While electric power dominates the conversation, hydrogen fuel cell trucks are emerging as a serious contender — especially for long-haul logistics.

Why hydrogen could work:

Faster Refueling: Hydrogen trucks can refuel in minutes, similar to diesel, keeping freight moving.
Lighter Energy Storage: Hydrogen systems weigh less than massive battery packs, freeing up payload capacity.
Reduced Grid Dependence: Hydrogen can be produced elsewhere and transported to stations, avoiding local grid strain.

However, hydrogen also has major hurdles:

Sparse Infrastructure: There are fewer than 100 heavy-duty hydrogen stations across the U.S.
Energy Efficiency: Producing and compressing hydrogen consumes significant energy — often losing up to 70% of the total power.
High Costs: Building a national hydrogen network is a multibillion-dollar challenge.

Even so, hydrogen may be the most practical option for long-haul autonomous trucking, where charging downtime and battery degradation create operational limitations.

The Forgotten Challenge: Roads, Depots, and Facilities

The conversation about driverless trucks often focuses on technology — but physical infrastructure is just as important.

For actual nationwide adoption, the U.S. will need:

Heavier Pavement Standards: Electric trucks can weigh several thousand pounds more than diesel models.
Smart Maintenance Hubs: Autonomous trucks need specialized service depots with real-time diagnostics and robotics integration.
Charging and Refueling Corridors: Major freight lanes (I-10, I-40, I-80, I-95) will require strategically spaced, high-capacity charging or hydrogen stations.
Connected Infrastructure: Smart highways, sensor-enabled intersections, and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) systems for safer automation.

Without these upgrades, the trucks of tomorrow will still be driving on roads built for yesterday.

The Future Will Be Hybrid

At Pure Freight Lines, we believe the trucking future won’t be “all or nothing.” It will be hybrid, both in technology and energy source.

Here’s how the landscape will likely evolve:

Short-Haul & Regional Routes – Battery-electric, autonomous trucks will dominate predictable lanes, charging at controlled depots overnight.
Long-Haul Freight – Hydrogen or hybrid fuel-cell systems will provide greater range and faster turnaround times.
Infrastructure Modernization – The success of driverless trucking will depend on coordinated investment between fleets, energy providers, and state agencies.
Human Oversight – Even in an autonomous world, skilled drivers and technicians will remain essential for supervision, exception handling, and logistics planning.

Autonomous trucks may not eliminate drivers — they’ll redefine their roles.

Conclusion: Technology Moves Fast — Infrastructure Moves Slow

Driverless trucks are ready.But the grid, charging networks, and physical infrastructure aren’t — at least not yet.

The challenge ahead isn’t just about coding more intelligent AI or designing better sensors. It’s about building the energy backbone that can sustain a fully autonomous, electrified freight industry.

At Pure Freight Lines, we support innovation that’s both sustainable and practical. As the industry pushes toward automation, we believe progress must come hand-in-hand with energy reform, infrastructure investment, and real-world operational insight from carriers like us.

The road ahead is long — but it’s one we’re ready to lead.