Energy Exchange

Why Schneider’s deployment of 50 electric big rigs gives me hope for the future of trucking

Photo courtesy of North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE).

By Lindsay Shigetomi

It’s one thing to see electric trucks on the showroom floor, but it’s an entirely different feeling to see them out in the wild.

Earlier this month, I attended a ribbon-cutting event in South El Monte, California — one of the largest freight hubs in America — to celebrate the roll-out of 50 electric trucks by Schneider. While it is currently one of the largest deployments of class 8 EVs at a single depot, Schneider plans to add 42 more electric trucks to this location by end-of-year, which would have the climate impact of removing 2,400 gas-powered cars from the road.

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Also posted in Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

An audit on the Advanced Clean Fleets Rule is bad for California and bad for the country

By Katelyn Roedner Sutter and Daniel Barad

Last month, the California Air Resources Board unanimously voted to adopt the Advanced Clean Fleets Rule, which sets purchase requirements for private and government fleets to increasingly transition to zero-emission trucks, and sets a 100% sales requirement for manufacturers in 2036.  Advocates and communities across the board lauded CARB for taking a critically necessary step to clean up our air, particularly in communities associated with freight corridors, ports and warehouses, therefore most impacted by truck pollution.

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Also posted in Air Quality, Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

The building blocks are in place for a strong Advanced Clean Fleets rule in California

By Lauren Navarro & Pamela MacDougall

California air regulators are currently considering adoption of the Advanced Clean Fleets rule — a purchase requirement for medium and heavy-duty fleets to adopt an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks. This rule has the potential to be transformative.

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Also posted in Electric Vehicles, General / Comments are closed

California paves the way to an electric vehicle future with new electrification framework

By Michael Colvin and Larissa Koehler

Last month California took another significant step forward in advancing the deployment of zero-emission vehicles, with the adoption of a Transportation Electrification Framework by the state’s Public Utilities Commission.  The framework establishes a $1 billion, 5-year suite of programs, and it provides a pathway for the state’s large electric utilities to continue to build on what is far and away the most successful deployment of electric vehicles in the country.

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Also posted in Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

California is proposing a major investment in electric vehicle infrastructure: Here’s what you need to know

This summer, California made national news by adopting a rule that will require all new passenger vehicle sales to be zero emission by 2035. At the same time, the state is also considering a complementary rule to replace medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses to also be zero emissions. To support this transition, California will need to make a major investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The California Energy Commission estimates that by 2030 California may need up to 1.2 million EV chargers to support an estimated eight million passenger electric vehicles and an additional 157,000 chargers to support non-passenger vehicles, such as trucks and buses. There are currently over 1.2 million electric passenger vehicles on California’s roads, and significantly fewer chargers than will be needed in 2030. The charging needs of trucks and buses are vastly different from those of private cars — in terms of power demands, locations and access — just to name a few. Unlocking both private and public charging for these vehicles will be a foundational investment to ensure the transition to zero-emission vehicles happens as quickly as possible.

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Also posted in Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

How to stop worrying about gas prices for good: Act quickly to fully decarbonize the economy

By: Katelyn Roedner Sutter and Michael Colvin

This past summer, Californians have been hit hard by inflation: rising food costs, utility bills and nowhere more obviously than at the gas pump. The cost to fill up a tank has many potential causes and lots of experts are weighing in — see here, here and here. Regardless of the cause, those with the tightest budgets are being hit hardest.

Last week, Gov. Newsom called a special session of the legislature to address high gas prices, and the state began sending direct rebates to Californians to help provide some immediate relief. In the longer term, we need to remember that while sending checks is helpful, the lasting solution to ending this gas price madness is a swift transition to a 100% clean economy.

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Also posted in Climate, Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed