By Doyle Sumrall, NTEA Managing Director
This article was published in the February 2018 edition of NTEA News.
Like most markets, the truck equipment world has dynamics with day-to-day and long-term effects. Electrification is one such example that has current and future implications.
The industry has worked long and hard to improve wiring and processes used to upfit connections, and a decade or so ago, we learned our way through multiplexing. While refining wiring, we were also learning about hybrid technology and how it can help fuel economy. An unintended benefit of hybrid drive was the emergence of ePTO. Even without the drive component, electrification of work truck engine-off operations has become a significant value and competitive advantage. As it works out, we are and will continue experiencing a technology revolution in electrification of systems and drives. Although the new U.S. Administration has dropped some of the pressure on going electric, the industry and, in particular, chassis OEMs and tier ones, are continuing the push.
Keep in mind, electric trucks are not just offered by popular names like Tesla, which garners great write-ups in trade publications. Did you know that XL Hybrids, an NTEA and Green Truck Association member, was recently recognized in a national publication for its 200+ electric van conversions for Verizon’s fleet in New York?
It’s important to note electrification is still a work in progress, even with successful offerings from OEMs such as Hino and Mitsubishi Fuso, as well as companies performing aftermarket upfits. These represent a small percentage of the trucks sold each year and an even smaller portion of the total trucks in use. But, just like electric drills, electric trucks are gaining in popularity and ability. To get a feel for some of today’s offerings, see the government-compiled list at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center (visit afdc.energy.gov and select Vehicle Search under Tools).
If you search only medium and heavy trucks, you’ll get a list of 32 vehicles (and can quickly conclude others offered that aren’t yet cited). Add in results from the lighter segment, and it’s easy to see this market is gaining momentum. Ford Motor Company has also established eQVM, the electric equivalent of its standard upfitter qualification program, which is another solid sign the electrification of truck systems and drives is growing.
As emphasized by NTEA’s Green Truck Association affiliate division, drive and duty cycle are critical, as current offerings only work in select applications. Oak Ridge National Laboratory published a report in September 2017, Transportation Electrification Beyond Light Duty: Technology and Market Assessment, which focuses on the shift from technology to goods and people movement.
This is an excellent resource for industry professionals seeking data and accompanying insights. In addition to providing a comprehensive overview, it offers a market summary and statistics from the Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey and IHS Markit on in-use vehicles. Although the information is based on 2013 data, it is valuable and useful today. See the chart below for a data sample.
While electric trucks may not yet have made their way into your shop, that will likely change in the not-too-distant future and may provide industry businesses with more opportunities for market expansion.
The Work Truck Show® 2018 features commercial vehicles with the latest advanced technologies and alternative fuels in the Productivity and Fuels Pavilion and Ride-and-Drive. Learn more at worktruckshow.com.