Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - October 2024 - 13

ELECTRIFICATION | INFRASTRUCTURE FEATURE
Under the CFC study's
" current technology "
scenario, batteryelectric
long-haul
appears to face
range and downtime
challenges.
underpins the study's metrics regarding required " local "
and on-route charging infrastructure.
" Given current economic and operational constraints,
long-haul, over-the-road trucking is ill-suited for electrification
today, " the study said. " However, if significant
upfront infrastructure investments are made, opportunities
for medium-duty (MD) vehicles and last-mile logistics
exist. In addition to infrastructure investments, the
feasibility of long-haul battery-electric vehicles (BEV)
will depend on further vehicle and charger technology
advances. " That includes, the study said, on-route
charging of 500 kW - 46,000 units at a cost of $69
billion - and 12,000 1-MW chargers totaling $27 billion.
Some of the CFC study's assumptions and metrics
leave room for scrutiny. Daimler Truck, for example, said
its latest Mercedes-Benz eActros Class 8 tractor, with
three lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries totaling 621
kWh of capacity, offers a maximum driving range of 500
km (310 miles) - but the study indicated the " usable "
range is just 180 miles (290 km) and said an 850-kWh
battery pack is required to achieve even 250 miles of
range. Real-world driving ranges will markedly influence
the needed density of high-power chargers.
The report also addresses time and cost to install
CV infrastructure when little currently exists. " Where
entirely new transmission and substation infrastructure
may be necessary, typical lead times are 3 to 8 years, "
the report indicates. " At a higher level, we found that
the overall cost of utility infrastructure per commercial
vehicle electrified will increase exponentially with distance
from urban centers. "
Loren McDonald, CEO of the analytics firm EVAdoption,
told Truck & Off-Highway Engineering via email, " This
speaks to why we will likely have a bifurcated approach of
BEVs for shorter-haul routes which can be charged overTRUCK
& OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
Estimate of required on-site and on-route charging capacity for a 100% BEV
medium- and heavy-duty freight fleet in the U.S.
night on slow DCFCs or even fast L2 [chargers] and while loading/unloading
- and the fuel-cell EV (FCEV) for long-haul.
" For me this report would have been stronger if it had actually
made the case for why the commercial truck market will be a multipowertrain
solution - BEV and FCEV, and possibly even some form
of hybrid. Instead, it felt like it was just making the case of why 100%
BEV is not the answer. I think most in the industry are aware of the
challenges of long-haul BEVs. "
October 2024 13
BOTH IMAGES: ROLAND BERGER
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - October 2024

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