Contact: Noah Barnes, Electrification Coalition
noah@electrification.org, (202) 461-2371
WASHINGTON—The Electrification Coalition (EC) has released a report, Piloting the Transition to Freight Electrification: Lessons Learned in Electrifying On-Road Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, examining the pilot projects of several large national and international companies to electrify their medium- and heavy-duty fleet vehicles. The report identifies these companies’ challenges and provides recommendations for fleets planning to electrify.
Transitioning freight vehicles to electric provides crucial opportunities to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil, which poses significant national and economic security risks. Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles make up less than 10 percent of registered vehicles in the U.S. but were responsible for 28 percent of the U.S. transportation sector’s fuel consumption in 2020.
The EC works with dozens of shippers, carriers, retailers and EV supply chain companies through its Electric Freight Consortium. This report outlines many key challenges companies faced, including vehicle availability and procurement, charging infrastructure, capital costs, incentive and funding availability, engagement with the local electric utility, and project timelines.
The recommendations the EC has identified include:
- Conduct a total cost of ownership analysis, as the lower operating costs of electric trucks can more than offset the higher purchase price.
- Pursue federal, state, local or other funding opportunities, as current policies and programs can provide incentives for transitioning to electric freight.
- Identify and engage with internal and external stakeholders, such as local utilities, early and often.
- Leverage the experience and expertise of third-party organizations working to scale freight electrification, such as the EC.
“We cannot end the monopoly that oil has on our transportation without electrifying the medium- and heavy-duty vehicles that carry our goods,” said Ben Prochazka, executive director of the EC. “Freight electrification is the most scalable solution to wean ourselves from oil, which is subject to the volatile global oil market. On the other hand, electricity is produced domestically through diverse and renewable sources, making it a far superior energy source for transportation.”
“We are excited to see that the number of private-sector companies electrifying their freight vehicles is growing exponentially,” said Steve King, EC senior manager of e-freight and special projects. “The transition is not always easy, but the EC helps our partners by collecting and sharing best practices. I hope this report provides much-needed guidance to companies doing this important work.”
The report can be downloaded for free at https://electrificationcoalition.org/resource/freight-pilot-project-report/.
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About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, public health, and national security dangers caused by America’s dependence on oil. The EC works with a variety of stakeholders that represent the entire electrified transportation value chain, positioning the organization as a dedicated rallying point for an array of electrification allies. For more information, visit electrificationcoalition.org.