{"id":19001,"date":"2019-04-01T12:52:05","date_gmt":"2019-04-01T16:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=19001"},"modified":"2019-04-02T10:54:30","modified_gmt":"2019-04-02T14:54:30","slug":"as-electric-trucks-and-buses-charge-ahead-how-can-we-help-them-avoid-roadblocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2019\/04\/01\/as-electric-trucks-and-buses-charge-ahead-how-can-we-help-them-avoid-roadblocks\/","title":{"rendered":"As electric trucks and buses charge ahead, how can we help them avoid roadblocks?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The business and environmental case for electrifying large electric vehicles \u2013 such as buses, delivery trucks, garbage trucks and regional \u201cday cab\u201d tractors used at ports \u2013 is gaining traction, and there\u2019s good reason to be excited about this momentum.<\/p>\n

FedEx recently announced<\/a> that it\u2019s adding 1,000 EV delivery vans to its fleet. Amazon announced<\/a> a $700 million investment in an electric truck start-up and then pledged<\/a> to have half of its deliveries be zero-emissions by 2030. And in California, all new municipal buses will be zero-emissions within a decade, the result of a bold new program<\/a> adopted by the state\u2019s Air Resources Board last year.<\/p>\n

As companies and local governments move from piloting electric fleets to full deployment, their climate potential is becoming clearer. For example, a recent Bloomberg report<\/a> found that by the end of 2019, a cumulative 270,000 barrels a day of diesel demand will have been displaced by electric buses globally. That\u2019s more than three times the displacement by all the world\u2019s passenger electric vehicles.<\/p>\n

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But there is still much more to be done, and no time to wait. Diesel emissions from trucks and buses can increase<\/a> cancer risk, neurological and metabolic diseases, and cause respiratory and cardiovascular damage. What\u2019s worse, low-income communities and communities of color are host to a disproportionate share<\/a> of these toxic air pollutants.<\/p>\n

These vehicles are also a major source<\/a> of climate pollution, and are on pace to nearly double in the next 30 years. Already, we are seeing their effect on our climate ambitions. Diesel use from trucks was a leading factor<\/a> in why U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were up in 2018 after falling for several years.<\/p>\nAs electric trucks and buses charge ahead, how can we help them avoid roadblocks? <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n

It\u2019s clear we must accelerate the introduction and adoption of large electric vehicles today. To do this, we\u2019ll have to tackle two key challenges.<\/p>\n

Roadblocks to electrification<\/strong><\/p>\n

Integrating the charging demand from electric trucks and buses into the grid is a major hurdle. Most large electric vehicles are likely to have a use pattern where they return to the same facility each night. This means that fleet depots could have significant spikes in electricity demand as vehicles charge. For example, a fleet of 50 buses charged simultaneously could draw upwards of three megawatts of power, which is comparable to the electricity demand of a major skyscraper<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We can address this challenge through grid modernization efforts that enable more clean, efficient charging. For example, putting in place commercial fleet rate structures that encourage charging during off-peak times<\/a> when clean energy is abundant, making investments to upgrade grid capacity in strategic locations and leveraging \u201csmart charging\u201d software to prioritize charging among vehicles.<\/p>\n

A second key challenge is balancing the significant lifetime cost savings electric vehicles promise with their upfront costs. The continued decline in battery costs \u2013 already down 85 percent<\/a> from 2010 \u2013 will lessen this challenge significantly over the coming years. A recent analysis<\/a> by the California Air Resources Board found that battery electric trucks will be cost competitive with a wide range of diesel trucks by 2024. In the interim, we need to pursue a variety of financing and grant solutions that will accelerate adoption of these vehicles to deliver their significant air quality benefits today.<\/p>\n

All hands on deck<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many different stakeholders need to actively engage to accelerate the success of large electric vehicles.<\/p>\n