Today, private and for-hire fleets have a number of alternatives to diesel—ranging from battery electric and catenary electric (powered by overhead or underground wires) to hybrid electric and alternative fuels. These experts specifically explore electric vehicles (EV) powered by battery electric and the growing reasons to consider them.
Myers says Peterbilt plans to bring EV prices down in the next few years. That will lower total cost of ownership – a huge factor in why EVs are attractive to fleets today, she adds.
Moreover, Argue sees momentum for electrification of fleets coming from three new market forces: companies’ emissions commitments, government incentives, and technological advances.
“Ten years ago, we wouldn’t really be talking about electric trucks for a lot of these duty cycles and vocations,” Argue says.
Vehicle choice isn’t the only consideration for companies with private fleets or their for-hire trucking providers. Both Xos and Peterbilt have networks in place to aid with infrastructure and the full electrification journey. A key consideration is electricity availability. When a utility company has to increase the power grid to accommodate a fleet’s needs, it can add years to implementation.
That doesn’t necessarily mean companies should rush. Savage says sometimes Xos will counsel customers to wait six months to a year for technology to advance that’s a better fit for their duty cycle, vocation and performance requirements.
By renting or buying, carbon-reducing commercial vehicles are coming. Rick Mihelic, Director of Emerging Technologies at the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) is hopeful about green trucks and fleets taking root. NACFE works to drive the development and adoption of efficiency enhancing, environmentally beneficial, and cost-effective technologies, services and methodologies in the North American freight industry.
“Somewhere around 2040 you’ll see about a 50-50 mix in the populations,” says Mihelic. And that’s good news for the industry.”
This article was originally featured in Edition 3 of 2023 in our official magazine, Redefining The Road. Download the latest edition here.
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