Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - August 2022 - 25

ELECTRIFICATION FEATURE
" Software is always the key to fleet management - when you electrify,
it's even more important. " - Brandon McNeil, VP of Lightning Energy division
Lightning Energy's Brandon McNeil discusses telematics as
Brodie Ayers of Xcel Energy (left) and Mac Burns of Lightning
eMotors (right) look on.
Proterra plans to begin production at its third U.S. battery
manufacturing facility, this one in South Carolina, in second half of 2022.
Lightning CEO
Tim Reeser
pointed out the
value of funding
for repowered
vehicles.
Electric school buses are the " low-hanging
fruit " because their usage pattern
allows for lengthy periods
of recharging.
Repowering IC vehicles
Another significant change driving markets is that federal
funding now supports electrification of existing
internal-combustion vehicles, making it easier for fleet
owners to convert older vehicles to electric powertrains.
Lightning CEO Tim Reeser noted that the federal
government now will pay 80% of the cost of powertrain
replacement, allowing companies to repower
existing vehicles instead of buying them new.
That's important given the current state of the transportation
supply chain. New vehicles are hard to come
by, making it more attractive to leverage government
support by converting a portion of a fleet's vehicles to
electric powertrains. Repowering also lets fleet owners
utilize existing specialized custom vehicles.
Panelists also noted that software will play a central
role in the level of success for companies that shift to
electric powertrains. Monitoring vehicles' many asTRUCK
& OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
pects of usage is vital. " Software is always the key to fleet management
- when you electrify, it's even more important, " said Brandon
McNeil, VP of the Lightning Energy division. " One company saw a
95% savings by analyzing usage and using managed charging instead
of unmanaged charging. "
Software also monitors driving time and all vehicle operations.
Driving styles play a major role in battery usage, so many drivers will
benefit from programs that address ways to minimize battery usage.
Software also can help monitor many other aspects of battery usage,
including factors such as heating, cooling and other parameters that
impact battery drain and long-term lifetimes.
" When you move to EVs, there are a host of EV specific data
points, " McNeil added. " We've developed an on-board telematic system
that sends a couple hundred data points a second, so you can
see with granular depth what's happening on the vehicle and the
health of the system. "
Read more about Lightning eMotors' electrification activities on page 3.
August 2022 25
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: LIGHTNING EMOTORS; PROTERRA; BLUE BIRD; LIGHTNING EMOTORS
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - August 2022
