Are Electric Trucks viable for Long-haul transportation?
28.03.2022
There have been a lot of advancements in the electric car industry over recent years. You just have to look at companies like Tesla and their growing popularity, to understand that people are excited for the concept of electric cars that function exactly like a regular car would, minus the pollution and constant worry about gas prices. Car companies have developed to the point where they don’t sacrifice any power, when they create fully electric vehicles and a battery can be charged in less than an hour.
However, when it comes to trucks, there is a lot more power required. Is it possible to have a heavy duty truck, that transports goods across a continent, solely on electric power? It may not be far from happening.
In Europe, 50-60% of freight is transported less than 500 kilometers. If a truck runs on batteries, the payload would have to be decreased by 15%, but currently, the average battery-powered truck has 150-200 km range. For the moment, it isn’t cost effective to use the fully electric trucks because the weight of the batteries and the reduction of payload amounts to less time on the road and less goods being transported. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a huge focus on improving those batteries and most of all, creating fast-charging batteries that will be able to handle longer distances. Around 7% of global carbon emissions are generated by heavy transportation trucks. Being able to reduce that number will make a significant difference in pollution and production.
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) expects 200,000 electric trucks to be on the road by 2030, but that is only 4% of the total fleet. As of now, the leader in use of electric heavy-duty trucks is China, where most electric trucks can be found. Approximately 35% of Shenzen’s total fleet of urban delivery vehicles is electric. That means that electric trucks are already making a difference, but more in urban areas than long-distance hauling. The next step would be to increase power, decrease charging time and weight of the batteries, so that electric trucks can become fully viable even for freight transportation.
One of the most important factors in creating fully electric fleets, would be the establishing of smart charging stations. There are several technologies being tested for heavy-duty vehicles, which would be capable of charging from 250-900 kilowatts and up to 3 megawatts for future charging points. To be able to handle all the trucks coming in, a highway charging hub may require tens of megawatts, which is not yet available.
In summary, there is definitely a focus on transitioning to electric power, even for heavy-duty vehicles, but for the moment the technology has not advanced enough. Companies have tried to reduce their carbon footprint through hydrogen, biomethane and other biofuels, but the next step to sustainability and zero emissions, would be fully electric trucks. This may happen as early as the next decade, with new advancements being made every day. At Donau Trucks we try our best to stay on top of trends and greatly value eco-friendliness and sustainability, which is why we hope that one day fully electric trucks will be part of every day life.
