Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/963441
30 | Overdrive | April 2018 POWER PLAYS open and to understand the technol- ogy," Cade says. "We can get it in front of customers to see if there's a fit. We wanted to get our toe in the water to understand the tech and make sure we're not left behind in implementing something like that." Tesla has been quiet about its specs even with fleets that have placed orders, says Cade. Ruan's order is contingent on Tesla producing a working vehicle and further review by the fleet, he says. "We're still concerned about the truck's range," Cade says. Tesla touted a 500-mile range on a full charge last year, which would fit Ruan's regional operation of mostly 200- to 300-mile out-and-back runs. "Weight is going to be a big factor for us, and they don't have answers on that yet. Will it impact our payload?" His fleet's Teslas will operate during the day and recharge at night at a sta- tion centrally located to those five units' routes. Tesla expects Semi deliveries to begin late next year, but Cade says that timeline could bleed into 2020. Nikola's hydrogen-powered tractor, meanwhile, may be the closest to real- world viability. Backed by hundreds of millions in financing and an ambitious young entrepreneur, the company's working quickly to develop fueling infra- structure. And unlike its chief competi- tors in the segment, it's targeting the long-haul market with a tractor boasting beefy specs: upward of 1,000 hp and 2,000 lb.-ft. of torque with a 1,200-mile range on a tank of hydrogen. Trevor Milton, Nikola's 37-year-old founder, says test units should be deliv- ered to fleets by yearend. The company already has received $2 billion in orders PREDICTED OPERATIONAL COST SAVINGS HARD TO MEASURE Hard-and-fast cost-per-mile comparisons between electric-powered and diesel-pow- ered tractors are difficult to pin down. For one, electricity costs can differ dramati- cally based on geography and the utility provider. Another variable is that as more electric vehicles are deployed, utility companies could institute dynamic pricing models based on time of day and current grid demand, says MIT energy economist and researcher Jing Li. "That doesn't really happen in the existing electricity system we have, but some utilities are beginning to experiment," she says. Thor Trucks co-founder Gio Sordoni pegs electricity costs at 7 to 12 cents per kilowatt-hour, "which would translate to an 18-cent cost per mile," he says. Sordoni es- timates diesel's per-mile cost at 56 cents based on a 5.2-mpg average and $2.90-a- gallon diesel. "You're looking at more than half the cost," he says, depending on the price of diesel, mpg and electrical costs. Tesla, which estimates electricity costs at 12 cents per kilowatt hour, said in No- vember it projects savings of $200,000 on fuel costs per one million miles compared to a diesel-powered tractor. Nikola, aiming to make its cost compari- sons a simple monthly calculation, offers its truck as a full-service lease, which in- cludes a million miles of free hydrogen fuel and maintenance in Ryder's nationwide network. The lease costs between $5,000 and $7,000 a month. That's about on par with the $6,000-plus monthly average for an owner-operator's truck payment, fuel and maintenance, according to owner- operator business services firm ATBS. Tesla, Nikola and Thor promise mainte- nance costs dramatically less than that of diesel-powered rigs due to the markedly different components. "Combustion engines have about 2,000 moving parts," says Sordoni. "Our electric vehicle has about 20 moving parts. The systems in our vehicles are less complex." Thor estimates maintenance costs for its ET-One to be about a third of that of a diesel truck. Telsa's Elon Musk noted the same in November at his Semi's launch event. He said the lack of an engine and transmis- sion, among other components such as an exhaust aftertreatment system, cuts maintenance needs. However, at least initially, some poten- tial buyers have questions about the new technology's unknown costs. "I'm not go- ing to be the first to own one," says owner- operator Ken Bebout, who runs team with his wife. Bebout's got a keen interest in adopting an electric truck, likely a Nikola, but wants all issues ironed out before he leaves diesel behind. Tesla last November presented a completely reimagined truck interior for its Semi that includes a center-mounted seat, more in the style of a cockpit. On each side of the driver will be large touchscreen displays to house electronic logging applications, navigation, truck information and camera displays.