Trucking keeps the world supplied with just about everything it needs or wants, but fluctuating fuel costs create a ripple effect that impacts supply chains and hits consumers right in their wallets.
In order to keep the wheels of commerce turning, governments and the private sector have leaned into electric trucking. According to Strategy&, a third of all trucks in Europe, North America, and Greater China will be battery or fuel cell-powered zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2030. That market share is expected to rise to 70 percent by 2035.
While tightening regulations are partly responsible for the speedy shift toward ZEVs, it's not the whole picture. Newer electric truck technologies are priced more competitively than previous iterations, and experts say that battery electric trucks will come with a lower cost of ownership compared to internal combustion engines. There are fewer moving parts, for example, and less things to break. They tend to be quieter, so better for residential areas.
However, a number of issues loom large.
For long-distance shipping, nations need a network of charging stations.
A fully-loaded 18-wheeler diesel truck could nearly make the trip from California to New York with one or two stops for fueling. An electric truck, on the other hand, with the best available batteries would need to make 11 or 12 stops for at least 30 minutes, assuming an average battery range of 300 miles.
Bridges and roadway weight limits will have to be examined and upgrades made. While electric vehicles have less vibration and more even weight distribution, they are heavier than diesel trucks. Current weight limits for trucks on interstates is set at about 80,000 pounds. Some states have allowed 2,000 extra pounds for electric trucks, in order to accommodate the extra battery weight.
Much depends on new research into batteries to create lighter, longer-range devices. Among the solutions: Lithium-sulfur, silicon anodes, battery management strategies, and graphene.