The electric vehicle revolution is now underway. For many OEMs, whether they are in the light- or heavy-duty business, electricity-driven powertrains are going to be the way of the future. Yet, questions remain about how electric vehicles will get the power they need. Even more, is their energy density enough to handle the job the way trucking companies need it handled?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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With the electric vehicle revolution now underway, many\nopenly speculate how difficult the transition away from gasoline combustion\nwill be, especially for commercial operators. Trucking companies are used to\ndoing things a certain way and there is a lot of uncertainty around full\nelectrification. From making the transition to figuring out effective charging\ninfrastructure, there is a lot to consider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s start with something simple: watt-hours per kilogram.\nThis is an accurate way to determine the amount of energy produced by a\nparticular propulsion system. According to latest estimates, diesel fuel\ncontains around 12,700 watt-hours per kilogram. Lithium-ion batteries, which\nform the core underpinnings of electric vehicles, contain only 160 watt-hours\nper kilogram. Therefore, you need a much larger and heavier battery capacity for\nelectric vehicles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fact is this: For big rigs to move completely away from\ndiesel, there will have to be a greater imperative than reducing greenhouse\ngases. There really is no way the industry can make a quick transition into\nrenewables. It is simply a power density problem; a matter of physics that is\nnot constrained by human needs or wants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even more, many renewable energy installations are facing\nlocal opposition. Some are making the case that solar and wind is not the best\nchoice for everyone. Still, it appears that the future is headed in a renewable\ndirection. Can we reach a paradigm where electric cars are charged via\nrenewable means on a large-scale basis? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Details in the Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Weight matters in trucks, and when you are moving freight\nfrom one state to another, energy density is incredibly important. Let\u2019s go\nback to the energy density of diesel fuel. To match it, trucks need to have a\nlot of storage space for the batteries. But there is also more than just the\nbattery. You have a full cab to consider, especially for long haulers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look to California in these arguments. California, as\nwe have reported on before<\/a>, has been making a big push to electrify both\ncommercial and passenger vehicle transportation. Governor Gavin Newsom recently\nunveiled an executive order requiring sales of all new passenger vehicles to be\nzero-emission by 2035. And though he gave big rigs until 2045, the clock is still\nticking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, the state\u2019s electric companies have been\ndeveloping and deploying electric vehicle charging stations and infrastructure.\nThey have also been developing financial and technical mechanisms to spur\ncommercial growth in EV charging infrastructure. This is aimed at public\nutilities, truckers, and passenger car drivers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In partnership with public utilities, the state has launched\nwhat is dubbed the Charge Ready Transport program, which aims to develop the\ninfrastructure to support the electrification and usage of up to 8,500 medium-\nto heavy-duty trucks. This program is actually the largest of its kind anywhere\nin the country. If California is going to force trucking companies to go down\nthis road, the least they can do is help develop the infrastructure to support\nit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Southern California Edison has gotten in on the game by\npledging to deliver 80% carbon-free power to customers by 2030 and 100%\ncarbon-free by 2045. With both the state government and major public utilities\ngetting in on the game, expect to see electrification staying a dominating\ntopic throughout next year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cities Must Get Involved<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n State and local governments simply must get in on the game\nto make electrification feasible. They must encourage Level 2 charging\ninfrastructure by incentivizing charging programs at companies that need them.\nThey must work on streamlining permitting processes and develop comprehensive\nsolutions for multi-unit dwellings and garage-free neighborhoods. All this can\nbe accomplished through comprehensive education and outreach campaigns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n States can also work to improve electric charging\ninfrastructure and support through building codes and new construction\nstandards. As long as there are public-private partnerships to facilitate\nownership over the infrastructure being built, then regulatory encouragement\nand compliance should not be a problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Energy provides a free\ntool called the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Projection Tool \u2013 or EVI-Pro \u2013\nto better understand the number of chargers required to support a plan around\nEV adoption. The problem is getting cities and other municipalities to use the\ntool and develop a plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact is, states must encourage cities, counties, state agencies, transportation agencies, and public institutions to take advantage of lower-priced charging stations. Many of these stations can be found through the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative. It may be a mouthful, but this collaborative is easily sourced and can help fleets figure out how to properly adopt electrification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, there is one problem that may be the white elephant\nin the room, and that is the grid itself. When it comes to vehicle\nelectrification, what about the infrastructure necessary to support it? Will\nthe load increase overwhelm the grid?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Power Origination and Distribution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Plenty have expressed concerns that a large increase in the\nnumber of electric vehicles will add a major load increase to the California\ngrid. If that is the case, how will the rest of the nation fare? Consider that\nCalifornia experienced major rolling blackouts earlier this year. But there\nwere other times in which blackouts came because of new technologies, such as in\nthe 40s and 70s when kitchen appliances and AC units became the norm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In reality, there really is no reason why California\u2019s\nelectric grid should not be able to handle the load. It is actually designed to\nfunction in peak demand situations. Fortunately, peak demand only happens a few\ntimes a year. Electric vehicles really represent one of the most flexible load\ncharging problems. You will have more problems from other mechanisms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is that most electric vehicles will be charged\nwhen the demand is low, whether this be late at night or early in the morning. Cities,\nOEMs, and other interested parties need to come together to create a smart\ncharging strategy that works for everyone, whether residential or commercial\nusers. Utilities must also learn to optimize the peaks and valleys of grid\nloads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, electric utilities both in California and\nacross the country have been building specified distribution grids designed to\naccommodate new technologies. This has been ongoing work over the past five-to\nten-year period. This ensures the grid is ready to meet the demands of users,\nespecially those using electric vehicles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many utilities are already forecasting over a massive\nincrease in energy use from electric vehicles. Over a five- to 10-year period,\npublic utilities expect EV use and charging requirements on the grid to double.\nAs a result, they are planning to work closely with states, municipalities, and\ncustomers on ensuring transportation electrification happens without a hitch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Move to Electric<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The question now is how long before the trucking industry\nadapts and moves in this direction. The number of medium- and heavy-duty\nelectric trucks being developed and produced continues to rise, so eventually\nfleets will need to assess whether using these vehicles is right for them. If\nthey want to meet regulations and save fuel, they will likely need to make the\nswitch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, it is a difficult question to answer with a lot of\ncertainty. It will depend on what kinds of policies and incentives are put into\nplace and how the technologies will develop over time. The trucking industry is\nfar from monolithic, so it is likely that we will see trucking companies\nelectrify their fleets in waves. And considering we are already seeing yard\ntractor and transit bus electrification; it should not be long for motor\ncarriers to get on the bandwagon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n