Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/963441
34 | Overdrive | April 2018 POWER PLAYS Sordoni says. "Right now, we're focused on daycab 300-mile-and-under applica- tions." Thor's trucks can reach a full charge in 90 minutes, he says, and if the rig needs to be redeployed more quickly, "we would look at battery swapping." In the past year, two traditional sup- pliers also have touted their progress in the fledgling electric market. Cummins' Class 7 Aeos is a battery- powered rechargeable tractor and is meant as a prototype to showcase the company's electrification efforts. "Our approach right now is developing fully electric and hybrid-electric drivetrains and a whole range of components," says Julie Furber, Cummins' director of elec- trification. To that end, the company recently acquired two battery pack suppliers, Furber says. While the company isn't commenting further on truck electrifica- tion for now, she says the technology doesn't exist yet for battery-powered long-haul trucks. Kenworth, meanwhile, has taken the path of Nikola. Last year, the truck maker debuted a hydrogen-electric prototype, using a hydrogen fuel cell to produce electric current. The truck will be deployed this year at Southern California ports. The 565-hp rig is aimed at the regional market, says Stephen Olsen, Kenworth's director of product plan- ning. "Our testing shows that this truck performs equally as well as, if not better than, current diesel trucks," Olsen says. No other traditional truck makers have introduced an electric rig. Manufacturers such as Daimler and Peterbilt initially are focusing on electrification of short-haul operations, given that segment's range and more pressing emissions regulations, as it tends to be isolated to urban areas and port applications. PEAK POWER DEMANDS POSE CHALLENGE FOR CHARGING TRUCKS Another question regarding a surge in electric vehicle deployment is whether the power infrastructure, even with develop- ment of new recharging or battery swapping points, will have the capacity to handle it. The issue will require collaboration by truck suppliers, local utility providers and authorities, says researcher Jing Li, an en- ergy economist and industrial organization researcher at the MIT Energy Initiative. "There is no good scientific consensus on what the grid can handle for electric ve- hicles or electric trucks," Li says. It largely depends "on what we assume about when people will charge their trucks," she says. Electric power demand surges in the mornings when people begin their day, and in the evenings when people return from work, Li says. These demands can vary regionally because of time zones, climate factors and whether heating and cooling systems run on electricity or natural gas. Grid capability is something Thor is working to figure out, says company co- founder Gio Sordoni. He believes the grid has plenty of capacity to charge trucks as long as much of the charging takes place during non-peak demand times. He also envisions a system in which trucks returning to charging terminals with half-charged batteries can sell that power to the grid during peak hours. "Managing loads has to do with how you shave off those peaks," he says. Energy storage systems will play a role in that, he says. Megabatteries could siphon excess electricity from the grid during non-peak hours and store that elec- tricity to charge trucks later, which could stabilize the rates truckers pay. These stor- age systems could be public or established at carrier terminals. Like Li, he sees dynamic pricing as a means to ward off charging during peak hours. "If you plug in at 5 p.m., through software we can say, 'Hey, this is peak charging time. You don't want to pay these rates.' " Using renewables such as solar or wind to power a charging station also could ease concerns about grid capacity. "Tesla has been putting a lot of hints out that they're looking for their charging stations to be solar-powered," says Ruan's Jim Cade, whose fleet has reserved five Tesla Semis. "Take a UPS or a FedEx that has a hub in a metro area. If all the vehicles come back and plug in, it's going to dim the lights. Solar, if it's able to do the job, would be a better answer." This rendering shows the interior of the Nikola One tractor. A large touchscreen tablet will display information such as battery level, range and mapping, as well as cabin controls. The mapping feature will allow drivers to find Nikola fueling stations and service centers, and a form of freight-matching software also will be included, Nikola says. Screens are mounted on each side to display feeds from cameras.