Freight Trucks Are Not Going Electric Anytime Soon

(KNSI) – Electric vehicles are the darling of Wall Street and corporate boardrooms, but Minnesota Trucking Association President John Hausladen says using battery technology to power our fleet of commercial trucks is still a long way off. His assessment comes even as the price of diesel fuel hits new record highs.

Hausladen says there are a handful of problems that will keep electrification from becoming the norm in commercial trucking. “Freight requires dependability and there’s a myriad of issues with regards to the weight of the batteries, how long they take to charge, the cost of them. We’re a long way from commercial freight movement being dependent on electricity. Diesel will be the fuel of choice,” he says.

Tesla Motors has promoted a potential semi truck in its lineup, but there has been little acknowledgment of the project in recent years. Estimates for the battery weight are at least 6,000 pounds. That’s significantly more than a conventional diesel engine. It equates to fewer goods being transported in the trailer and lost revenue.

Other concerns are similar to what consumers are worried about for their personal vehicles, including steep costs that take years for the investment to pay off and range anxiety. Hausladen says there’s a place for electric trucks, but a majority of operators will still rely on fossil fuels.

“We are going to be a diesel-based freight economy for a very long time to come. Electrification will play a role…it will be local units that can return to base and charge overnight. It will be for smaller weights,” he says.

In the meantime, the diesel price shock means costs are transferred from shippers and transporters to the consumer through higher costs for just about every good and product available for sale.

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