Electric big rigs are going farther and charging faster

Electric Trucks Show Promising Results in Freight-Hauling Tests

There’s only one way to know if electric trucks can really replace diesel-fueled trucks: load them up with cargo, put them on the road and collect the data to see how far they can go.

That’s exactly what 10 freight depots in North America have been doing over the past two weeks. And so far, the data indicates that the latest electric medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks are increasingly ready to handle a lot of North America’s freight-hauling needs.

The data comes from trucks participating in Run on Less – Electric Depot, a three-week-long test-drive event organized by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, a nonprofit research group. Back in 2021, NACFE did its first electric truck test, and the findings showed that the vehicles available then were capable of handling the shorter-haul routes of about 100 miles or less that make up roughly half of all daily freight movement in the U.S.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Emphasized:

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
4. SDG 13: Climate Action

Improved Range and Recharging Speeds

This round of tests indicates that today’s trucks can go quite a bit further, Mike Roeth, NACFE’s executive director, said during a Monday livestream showcasing early results. In fact, the range and the recharging speeds of the 21 trucks being tracked have roughly doubled compared to the fleets NACFE tracked in 2021, he said.

“This gives us real data, real-world experience to look into the future a bit — and I think the future of battery electric commercial trucks is bright,” he said.

Medium- and heavy-duty trucks make up less than 5 percent of vehicles on the road, but they account for about 7 percent of overall U.S. emissions. Heavy-duty trucks in particular account for around 70 percent of the emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and an even greater share of harmful air pollution, the latter of which disproportionately affects lower-income areas and communities of color.

After decades of exploring options such as compressed natural gas and biofuels, experts have turned their focus to battery-electric vehicles as the most efficient and cost-effective means of cleaning up emissions from trucking. California set a goal earlier this year mandating that its fleet of 1.8 million commercial trucks convert to emissions-free vehicles over the next two decades, and a dozen other states have passed laws or are exploring similar goals.

Electric Trucking by the Numbers

Roeth highlighted that this month’s positive findings don’t just apply to the medium-duty electric vans and box trucks from major manufacturers like Daimler, Ford, General Motors and International and startups like Motiv that are already running shorter daily routes from depots in California, New York and Vancouver, British Columbia.

In fact, what’s most noteworthy, he said, are the numbers coming in from heavy-duty trucks being tested in California, including BYD’s semitruck, Daimler Truck North America’s Freightliner eCascadia, Volvo’s VNR, and the much-watched upstart entrant, the Tesla Semi.

Roeth cautioned that the trucks participating in the test aren’t disclosing the precise weight of their cargo loads — a “frustrating” gap in data, given that heavier loads decrease range.

But he did say that these trucks are all driving standard working routes that involve hauling heavy loads — trailers filled with produce and beverages or cargo containers from seaports and intermodal cargo centers.

And so far, they’ve clocked pretty impressive daily ranges. The Volvo and Daimler electric trucks, which are in production and available on the market, have gone up to 200 miles on a single charge, and between 250 and 320 miles when charged in between routes, as with this eCascadia operating out of the South El Monte, California depot of Schneider, a major logistics company.

As for the Tesla Semi, which is not yet in full production but is being tested by beverage giant PepsiCo at its Sacramento, California depot, the “numbers kind of speak for themselves,” Roeth said. Two Tesla Semi trucks have gone 384 miles on a single charge, and one truck was able to travel just over 800 miles in a 24-hour period after being recharged by Tesla’s 750-kilowatt Megacharger, one of the fastest chargers in operation today.

This data indicates that electric trucks now available for purchase, like the VNR and eCascadia, are well equipped to handle “that sweet spot in what we call this medium regional haul return-to-base” space, Roeth said. That describes trucks that leave and return to a central depot and travel about 300 miles per shift.

The results from the Tesla Semi, as well as some of the higher mileage numbers from other models of electric trucks, are “starting to show that longer return-to-base [routes] might actually be something that’s possible, not just hopeful,” he said.

But that’s not the same thing as long-haul interstate trucking, he pointed out. “I don’t think we know enough yet to be that optimistic about the longer or more disparate routes,” he said.

Charging is the big bottleneck on the long-haul front. Public fast-charging locations are few and far between — and most are designed for electric cars, not big rigs. Even the fastest 350-kilowatt EV chargers on highways and rest stops take around 90 minutes minimum to fully charge an electric truck’s battery.

Fleet depots, on the other hand, can shuffle depleted and charged-up trucks into and out of dedicated charging spots at a pace and scale to match their daily needs, Roeth said. They can also save time by partially charging a depleted truck to send it out on a second shift, he added. These options are what make return-to

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action

The article discusses the transition from diesel-fueled trucks to electric trucks, which aligns with SDG 7’s goal of promoting affordable and clean energy. It also highlights the advancements in electric truck technology, which relates to SDG 9’s focus on industry, innovation, and infrastructure. The article mentions the impact of heavy-duty trucks on emissions and air pollution, connecting to SDG 11’s aim of creating sustainable cities and communities. Finally, the article addresses the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, linking to SDG 13’s objective of taking action to combat climate change.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 7.2: Increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
• SDG 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable
• SDG 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities
• SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning

The article implies the need to increase the share of renewable energy by transitioning from diesel-fueled trucks to electric trucks, aligning with SDG 7.2. It also suggests the importance of upgrading infrastructure to support the adoption of electric trucks, which relates to SDG 9.4. The focus on reducing emissions and air pollution from heavy-duty trucks connects to SDG 11.6. Lastly, the article emphasizes the need to integrate climate change measures into trucking policies and planning, addressing SDG 13.2.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Percentage increase in the number of electric trucks in the freight-hauling industry
• Number of charging stations and their accessibility for electric trucks
• Reduction in emissions and air pollution from heavy-duty trucks
• Integration of climate change measures in trucking policies and planning

The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators, but the progress towards the identified targets can be measured by tracking the percentage increase in the number of electric trucks in the freight-hauling industry. Additionally, the number of charging stations and their accessibility for electric trucks can be monitored as an indicator of progress. Reductions in emissions and air pollution from heavy-duty trucks can be measured to assess the impact on sustainable cities and communities. Lastly, the integration of climate change measures in trucking policies and planning can be evaluated to determine progress towards climate action.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: canarymedia.com

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