Run on Less data has been collected from 22 trucks operating out of 10 fleet depots. This data and additional work has been used identify the current state of electric trucking.
Mike Roeth, NACFE’s executive director, gives Key Points of Electrifying Truck Depots:
* Small depots are ready for electrification now and electrification at large depots is becoming more possible.
* There have been big improvements in trucks and chargers in the last two years
* The industry needs cost and weight reductions to improve the total cost of ownership.
* Range can be extended with multiple charges per shift at the depot and enroute.
* It’s still taking too long for power delivery and infrastructure to be installed, which is driving portable/temporary charging.
* There is progress to help to scale the adoption of electric trucks.
At a logistics center near Sacramento, PepsiCo operates 21 Tesla Semis, along with four 750 kW Megachargers, which enable charging to 80% capacity in less than 45 minutes. PepsiCo also operates Ford and BYD EVs at the site, which gets much of its power from a solar array.
If Pepsi has four Tesla Semis charging at the same time then there would be 3 MW draw of power from a combination of the solar array, onsite battery storage and the grid. Pepsi worked with the SMUD utility and Tesla to install the charging depot.
Two officials from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) explain the process, which involved bringing 3 MW of new electrical service to the facility, and took three years.
PepsiCo has achieved average efficiency of 1.7 kWh per mile with the Tesla Semi. The off-peak rate for energy cost is $0.14 per kWh in Sacramento.
There is onsite battery energy storage shown in the video.
19 MWh/day would allow each of the 21 electric Semi truck to completely charge once per day. This assume each truck has a 900 kWh pack.
38 MWh/day would allow each of the 21 electric Semi truck to completely charge twice per day. This assume each truck has a 900 kWh pack.
Small Depots Need Less Power and Investment
Small depots in urban areas require smaller amounts of power, less investment and less time to complete. Here is some of the data:
* Daily Purolator and UPS delivery routes are proving to be in the 14 – 42 miles range.
* Frito-Lay completely transformed its Queens location in about one year needing only 0.9 MWh/day of electric energy.
* Fleets are charging many trucks with a few chargers as evidenced by US Foods operating 15 heavy-duty tractors with only five portable chargers.
Longer Regional With Return to Base Can be Electrified
Here is some of the data:
* Fleets along with their utilities and engineering, procurement and construction partners are delivering big power — up to 5 MWs — to these depots as well as to charging-as-a-service sites, like WattEV.
* There is a significant amount of electricity needed for these large heavy-duty trucks. It is predicted that Scheider’s South El Monte depot would use 40.2 MWh/day if it were 100% electric, the highest projected daily energy demand we noted.
* The Tesla Semis at PepsiCo’s Sacramento Beverages depot have completed 384 miles on a single charge and 806 miles in a single 24-hour day, enabled by fast 750 kW charging.
* It takes from 12 to 36 months for infrastructure implementation.
* Long planning and approval cycles are necessary to enable the grid for these large loads but are simply taking too long.
Other issues include supply chain challenges, planning inefficiencies, delayed permit approvals at the sites and other problems.
* Fleets are employing temporary/portable chargers and other creative infrastructure solutions to avoid even longer delays so they can begin to use the trucks that have been delivered.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
If FSD comes to the Semi, then locating charging infrastructure at a substation directly, and using that tentacle power cord Tesla demoed, autonomous charging along with not having to roll out heavy infrastructure to sites is feasible. While a case can be made that general neighborhood level infrastructure renewal to support higher disrtibuted gird loads from EV charging infrastructure might support larger commercial/industrial level chargers, who’s gonna pay for that?
Though at that point, a Semi is closer to a Robotaxi Semi, with the implications thereof.
For those worried we will not be able to upgrade our infrastructure to support the electrification of consumer automobiles and semis:
(1) Yes, it will cost money. Just like the laying of rail in the 1800s.
(2) Just like the interstate highway system in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
(3) Just like Texas adding housing and industrial base and commercial buildings and electrical grid over the last 40 years (population grew from 11 million in 1972 to 31 million today)
(4) Just like we built a network of gasoline stations and refineries from the 1940s until the 1980s.
It will be expensive, but it will make numerous billionaires in the process. And it will improve many people’s lives. And it will generate more profit than the investment required.