At a recent Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue in Grapevine, Texas a panel discussed potential future developments in the trucking industry and one of the major topics of conversation was electric vehicles. So - could electric trucks be the next big thing in the trucking industry? Here’s what we think you need to know.
The case for electric vehicles
According to government statistics, two thirds of the freight that is carried by truck in the United States only moves about 100 miles. These short routes are well suited for electric vehicles. If early adopters were to start using electric vehicles in their fleet, they would likely start with smaller or medium sized trucks.
What about charging stations?
One of the biggest arguments for fleets not incorporating electric vehicles is a lack of sufficient charging stations. This has been a concern even as electric cars have come into the marketplace. In addition to the number of charging stations still being relatively small, the number of charging stations that could accommodate a Class 8 vehicle are even smaller. Fleets adopting electric trucks may have challenges with the grid, particularly if they need to charge multiple vehicles at once. Nevertheless, governments and utility companies are motivated toward facilitating more electric vehicles and there are even programs available to help with the cost of transitioning fleets.
Electric truck ROI
We know that electric vehicles make sense from an environmental standpoint, but what about from an economic standpoint. Currently the ROI of fleets adopting more electric trucks is in question. Currently the cost of these vehicles is quite high, and because technology is changing at such a rapid pace, these vehicles do not necessarily have the greatest of resale values. Additionally, electric trucks need to use a lot of batteries in order to travel any great distance.
There are however developments in the works that may help to increase the ROI of electric trucks. Hydrogen fuel cells for example may be helping to solve the battery problem.
At Trux Solutions, we do our best to stay current with all the latest developments in the trucking industry and as new technologies and best practices unfold, we will relay that information to our customers. To learn more about us and what we do, contact us today.
