Electric trucks are the eternal dream of the heavy road transport industry. However, it will be a nightmare if all the factors are not fulfilled for this type of vehicle to increase. Hydrogen fuel cell trucks are starting to appear on the horizon as a more reasonable alternative.
The race to electrify the automotive fleet goes beyond the electric car. The goal is to make any solution to move more efficiently and this includes road transport, or in other words, trucks.
However, the transfer of electric trucks It’s more complicated than first expected, with a series of obstacles complicating the process. A sustainable dream can become a nightmare if not implemented properly and the bankruptcy of the first electric truck startup is proof of this.
Along with 10% of global CO2 emissions the transportation of goods is one of the main sources of air pollution.
On the other hand, the diesel engine continues to be the benchmark within the sector, due to its longer life cycles and greater availability. autonomy per deposit to reach 2,500 kilometers on some models. In addition, the cost of fuel is kept within limits, because the consumption of each ton of cargo hardly exceeds one liter per 100 km they taught to Business Insider.
Electric trucks, a lingering dream from which the industry is about to wake up
If we analyze what is currently offered in the electric truck market, we will find models such as the Tesla Semi, which has been able to travel more than 1,700 kilometers in one day. However, the Tesla model was able to reach this number after stopping to recharge the battery three times at 750 kW charging stations.
And this even though the Tesla Semi battery has an energy capacity of between 850 and 900 allows you to go from 20% to 100% of your charge in one hour from a 750 kW charging point.
Other options are the Mercedes eActros 600which approves 500 kilometers of autonomy, and the Nikola Tre BEV with up to 530 kilometers of range per charge. This is, of course, far beyond the 2,500 kilometers a diesel truck can travel with full tanks of fuel.
To these limits of autonomy, we must add the fact that the availability of fast chargers is very limited and the electrical grid is weak. This raises doubts about the possibility of electrifying the entire fleet of trucks and whether the current supply can supply the entire fleet.
In the European Union, there are very few charging stations that can supply between 750 and 1,500 kW, and those in the Test phase. Something similar happened in the United States, so Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, decided to launch his fast-charging network.
An alternative that is starting to gain momentum is a hydrogen fuel cell truck. This possibility is increasingly a reality thanks to the huge push made by the Chinese industry in the development of hydrogen trucks. As explained by Business Insiderfor every kilometer traveled, one hydrogen truck is cheaper than its diesel counterpart.
It remains to be seen, therefore, how the field of electric trucks will develop, a long-lasting dream that is about to awaken the industry, although we do not yet know whether for the better or as a real failure.
