AUSTRALIA can learn from the overseas experience related to EV truck recharging as the process is significantly accelerated when compared to recharging an electric car as every aspect is on a larger scale. much.
Providing fully loaded trucking facilities is an expensive game as they take up more real estate than a typical service station and are a ‘next level’ heavy duty in terms of energy needs. their capacity, which experts say requires grid infrastructure similar to that of a factory.
A large and busy service area providing charging devices for all types of road vehicles will shift from energy consumption comparable to that of a professional sports stadium to that of energy of a small town – and it is feared that the market for the vehicles will grow faster than the network underlying the infrastructure can grow.
The current line of electric trucks abroad (mainly Europe, China and the United States) has an operating range between 320 km and 800 km on a single charge, which is considered acceptable for routes local and regional roads, but are not suitable for road (OTR) distances can sometimes exceed 1600km.
Many electric vans can be quickly charged, but there are very few public fast-charging stations available to them, meaning the cost of installing a warehouse charger in the event of a return to the facility must also be included in managers’ spreadsheets. fleet when considering switching away from diesel.
The challenge is how quickly the high-speed public chargers will need to deliver electricity at a single place and time (power source) and where to build them – often in freeway locations.
Experts say the easiest way to picture the problem is to think of electricity like water flowing through a faucet. It would take months to fill an Olympic swimming pool with a garden hose, but a fire hose would fill the pool in hours.
Building on that analogy, in the world of electric vehicles, a semi-trailer is like a swimming pool, and the connections available at today’s highway stops are like garden hoses.
Tesla seems to be ahead of the curve with their upcoming pickup trucks that have a range of up to 800 km on a single charge while carrying a full 40-ton payload, though this is still just a halfway through it economically. range. However, just like its passenger cars, Tesla will equip its trucks with the right charging infrastructure.
Daimler and Volvo also have similarly sized vehicles that only work with an overnight charge/return program.
In some quarters, Tesla’s heavy-duty vehicles could be called a “giant battery on wheels” that could accelerate the transition to electrified transportation, but according to a report in the media company. According to Bloomberg, those in charge of the energy supply are starting to ask: “Are we ready? this?”
The answer is probably no, according to a new study of highway toll requirements by UK utility National Grid Plc.
Bloomberg reports researchers have found that by 2030, the electrification of a typical highway service station will require as much electricity as a professional sports stadium – mainly to charge passenger vehicles. electric customers.
The report continues: “As more electric trucks hit the road, the projected energy demand for a large truck stop by 2035 will equal that of a small town.”
“Put 50 trucks somewhere to recharge and what you get is the equivalent of a factory,” Dave Mulaney, director of RMI energy research on zero-carbon vehicles, told Bloomberg.
“Utilities know how to build factories, but it’s the process and order of requirements that scares me. Utilities need to start half a decade before trucks so as not to clog the transition to electric trucks.”
Media reports say that even the study’s authors weren’t prepared for how quickly electricity demand on highways would change.
“A connection to the grid that can handle more than 5 megawatts takes up to eight years to build, at a cost of tens of millions of dollars.”
National Grid’s vice president of clean energy development, Bart Franey, warned: “If electric upgrades don’t start soon, the transition to electric vehicles – let alone electric trucks – will be swift. limited by the grid not being prepared for demand.”
“We need to start making these investments now,” Franey told Bloomberg.
“We can’t wait for it to happen, because the market will grow faster than the infrastructure.”
