The Electric Market is Buzzing

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September 4, 2019 Vol. 16 No. 18

Volvo is not quite ready with electric trucks on the road in the U.S., but it’s not too far behind Daimler Trucks North America. It’s still on track, I believe, to see all-electric VNR regional-haul demonstrator trucks put into service in California late this year, ahead of a planned commercial North American roll-out in 2020.

Ironically, one of the carriers who will get one of the first batch of electric VNRs is New Jersey’s NFI Industries, which also has an eCascadia in its possession now. Both trucks will do drayage work at California container ports. Playing the field in the search for efficiency, I guess. It’s no coincidence.

Last November, Bill Bliem, NFI’s senior vice president, fleet services, and his team met with their primary OEM suppliers and asked to be involved in battery electric vehicle development and testing in exchange for their input.

“We see BEVs in the short-term future being utilized for drayage and dedicated routes. Since NFI’s expertise is in dedicated contract carriage and drayage, we hope to provide valuable input into the BEV development process,” said Bliem earlier this year.

Early in 2018, NFI began exploring the reality of electric-powered Class 8 tractors, particularly for drayage operations. In October 2017, it acquired California Cartage Company, one of the largest port drayage companies in the country, expanding its drayage operations. Electric tractors are a perfect fit.

“Protecting the earth by running zero-emissions vehicles will benefit everyone,” said Bliem. “Once battery costs and weight decrease, BEVs’ total cost of ownership should be at or below the [total cost of ownership] of a diesel tractor. With the subtraction of an internal combustion engine and transmission, the different levels of autonomy can be attained more efficiently as well.”

Volvo Trucks plans to develop eight Class 8 electric trucks for use in California with technology based on the FE Electric Truck already in limited use in Sweden.

VOLVO LIGHTS IS THE UMBRELLA for this project. Its full name being ‘Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions’, it’s a public-private partnership that involves 16 partners working together to transform freight operations at the facilities of two leading fleets – NFI and Dependable Highway Express, based in Ontario, CA.  It’s all part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that’s said to put “billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.”

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Rolf Lockwood is editor emeritus of Today's Trucking and a regular contributor to Trucknews.com.