electric trucks

To enable a future transition to electric, it’s vital that we look beyond electric cars and focus on electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes.

If you’re anything like me, you watched the unveiling of the Tesla Cybertruck and the electric Ford F-150 Lightning truck and thought, “Damn, those are pretty cool, but I probably shouldn’t drop $40,000-$50,000 on an electric truck that I don’t really need.”

However, despite realizing I couldn’t justify an expensive electric truck, I never gave up the dream of joyriding in one and tossing all sorts of weird stuff in the back, which is probably why when the chance finally arose, I made the impulse buy of a much, MUCH more affordable (albeit smaller) electric pickup truck straight from China.

Roughly 10 billion tons of freight move through supply chains in the US each year, almost all of which pass through distribution yards – the area of the supply chain between the warehouse and the open road. Andrew Smith, Outrider founder and CEO, has dedicated his career to the commercialization of environmental technologies. He spoke with Electrek about how the automation of electric yard trucks is not only dramatically increasing the sustainability of this often-overlooked area of the supply chain, but also the agility and reliability of its movement of goods.  

Daimler and Portland General Electric (PGE) have unveiled today a new ‘first of its kind’ electric truck charging station in Portland, Oregon.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• IKEA partners with Fluid Truck to use only e-delivery trucks in NYC’s 5 boroughs by May 2021.
• IEEFA’s 2021 report reflects the US’s clean energy surge, and Texas is a good case study.
• UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• C40 mayors, transport workers, and unions call for stimulus funding for public transport.
• The EDF releases two sets of policy recommendations on heavy-duty truck electrification and infrastructure.
• UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.

Merchants Fleet, the US’ fastest-growing fleet management company, is working with BrightDrop, the new business started by General Motors (GM), to procure a hefty 12,600 EV600s.

The all-new EV600 is lightweight and purpose-built for the efficient delivery of goods and services over long ranges.

Alibaba is one of the best places around to find the coolest and sometimes weirdest electric vehicles in the world. As part of a new series known as Awesomely weird Alibaba electric vehicle of the week, we’re taking a look at some of our favorites.

This week’s feature is a small-yet-mighty electric pickup truck designed for utility and off-road usage, though it may even be street legal as an NEV in the US.

Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) and Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) today announced that they are co-developing a large public charging site for medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks. Known as “Electric Island,” it is expected to be the first of its kind in the US.

Kenworth, one of the biggest American truck manufacturers, is launching today two new electric trucks with up to 200 miles of range.

With several new major players like Tesla Semi and eCascadia coming to electrify trucks, US electric truck sales are now expected to increase to over 54,000 units by 2025, according to Wood Mackenzie.

California has adopted its new zero-emission truck program, which should help accelerate electric truck production and deployment.
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Oatly, the Swedish premier oat-based food producer, announced today that it will become one of the world’s first companies to electrify its fleet of heavy trucks. Its first electric trucks will roll out in October, covering about 125 zero-emission miles per day. Plans are under way for those deliveries to use remote-operated, self-driving EVs such as the Einride Pod.

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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) yesterday released the final draft of the Advanced Clean Trucks standard. The proposal will put roughly 100,000 and 300,000 electric trucks on California’s roads in 2030 and 2035, respectively, out of approximately 1.8 million and 1.9 million total trucks expected in those years. The Union of Concerned Scientists believes the state should go further.

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The electrification of trucks and buses needs to be accelerated, says a new report released yesterday by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

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Gas generators still own the portable, emergency home-backup power space. Ten years ago there was a lot of hope and hype for using all the energy stored inside EVs’ batteries to power your entire house, but it hasn’t come to pass. No EV maker will sell you a bidirectional charger, outside of Japan and a handful of small utility pilots.

Meanwhile, the 2020 Ford F-150 will come with the option for its own built-in, onboard gas generator. And aftermarket companies, like Indiana’s Real AC power, offer sleek, chassis-integrated generator systems (pictured above) for internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks. EV makers ceded this space for unknown reasons. But now Tesla CEO Elon Musk has teased a 240V AC power outlet on the Cybertruck, something neither Rivian nor Bollinger have announced. We don’t know how many watts we can expect, though. So will the Tesla Cybertruck finally offer EV enthusiasts a path to navigate societal collapse? Or are we stuck with settling for “head’s up, you’re going to lose power” messages?

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Mack Trucks has introduced its Mack LR all-electric refuse truck, which it plans to test on the streets of New York City in 2020.

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Your favorite food truck is most likely powered by gas or diesel, but they will now have the option to go all-electric with Lightning Systems launching its electric powertrain for the Ford F-59, a model used for food trucks.
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Daimler will convert its existing factory in Portland to manufacture the company’s all-electric Freightliner trucks, Daimler Trucks North America CEO Roger Nielsen said today.

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