There is no escaping the fact that the trucking industry is in the midst of a transformation as both internal and external forces are pushing us to move goods more sustainably.
A lot of attention has been given to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) when it comes zero-emission freight movement. More and more fleets are adding a few BEVs to their operations to get some real-world experience about how they perform.
Speaking at a recent NationaLease meeting, Eaton’s Advait Katarki, business development manager, EVCI & Connected Solutions, and Paul Ryan, director, EVCI & Connected Solutions, said they expect to see 11M commercial BEVs by 2030 and they expect them to reach cost parity with diesel trucks during the next decade.
Working with fleets, Katarki and Ryan found that they had some common questions about electrifying their fleet. During their presentation, they provided answers to these common questions.
Q: What type of BEV charger best suits my fleet’s needs? Depot charging or on-the-go charging?
A: The primary charging choice for fleets at this point in BEV development is depot charging where chargers are located at the fleet’s location and trucks can charge overnight. On-the-go charging is not a realistic option today as there has not been much of a build-out of a nationwide public charging infrastructure. However, work is being done on building out public charging infrastructure, but it will take time to develop.
Q: Which is better: AC charging or DC charging?
A: The type of charging to invest in depends on the vehicle use case and vehicle class. The goal at the fleet’s depot should be to optimize for the lowest power solution that meets the use case requirements. Level II chargers provide enough power to recharge light- and medium-duty trucks overnight. Level III chargers charge the fastest and use DC current to charge rather than the AC current used by Level II chargers.
Q: How should I think about the infrastructure needed at my depot to support charging my BEVs?
A: Fleets need to take a system-based approach to depot charging, Katarki and Ryan said. Key components of a BEV charging infrastructure solution include chargers, battery storage systems, charger management software, microgrids, distributed energy resource integration, power distribution, and grid connection upgrades. The fleet needs to perform a feasibility analysis of the deployment site, a power system analysis of the existing electrical infrastructure, and a protection analysis, among other things.
Q: Who do I need to engage in the infrastructure development and construction project?
A: It is important to engage all stakeholders in the process, but it is critical to connect with local utilities very early in the process and to stay in constant communication with them throughout the process. You don’t want to find yourself in the position of having BEVs on site with no way to charge them.
Q: What role does software play in charging?
A: Charging network management software is critical in managing charging costs. The time at which trucks charge and whether trucks charge at the same time or sequentially will have a big impact on electricity costs. Managing charging can help avoid unnecessary infrastructure upgrades.
Jane Clark is vice president of member services for NationaLease. In this position, she is focused on managing the member services operation as well as working to strengthen member relationships, reduce member costs, and improve collaboration within the NationaLease supporting groups. Prior to joining NationaLease, Clark served as area vice president for Randstad, one of the nation’s largest recruitment agencies, and before that, she served in management posts with QPS Cos., Pro Staff, and Manpower Inc.
