An analysis by the Pembina Institute has found electric trucks place less strain on the electrical grid than first expected.

The study titled Planning to Charge draws on observations of electric trucks in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

The study found that if Toronto reaches a 35% electric truck share by 2030, electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles would still account for less than 1.5% of current daily electricity consumption and peak demand, falling within normal day-to-day fluctuations on the grid.

The Pembina Institute also found that how charging infrastructure is planned matters as much as how much is built. It encourages first focusing on electrifying lighter trucks and deploying chargers in high-traffic locations.

It believes its recommendations can reduce total charging infrastructure costs by 60-75% by 2030 through smart planning, or “building the right infrastructure at the right time, in the right places.”

“When planning assumes that light delivery vans and heavy longhaul trucks electrify at the same rate, it overstates near-term electricity demand and charger costs,” said  Chandan Bhardwaj, senior analyst, transportation, Pembina Institute.“Our analysis of real-world truck travel data shows that early electrification is led by lighter trucks, which require far less charging power. That distinction has major implications for how municipalities and utilities plan grid investment today.”   

“Electric truck charging infrastructure will need to expand, but our analysis shows it doesn’t have to happen all at once or at the highest cost,” added Adam Thorn, director, transportation, Pembina Institute. “The scale, timing and grid impacts of that buildout are shaped by planning decisions, including which trucks electrify first and where chargers are installed.”