Pilot Electrified Fleets in Urban and Regional Applications
Sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)   (Information Flyer)

Background

The trucking industry has been the catalyst for economic development in Texas. Trucking is the largest employer in the Texas freight transportation sector, impacting over 1 million jobs with 1 in 16 Texans being employed by the trucking industry. Texas is currently housing over 66,000 trucking companies, and most of the trucks belong to local, family-owned fleets. Electrification in the trucking industry can have significant positive impacts on energy usage, emissions, the economy, and society.

Challenges

Compared to conventional trucks, battery-electric trucks (eTrucks) have demonstrated significant advantages in reducing the fuel and maintenance costs (long-term total cost of ownership), despite the higher upfront purchase cost. The lack of eTruck experience and the concerns on eTrucks including range limits, charging infrastructure, maintenance, and cost, are considered as the main barriers for the broad truck fleet owners to adopt MD eTrucks.

Project Goal

The project objective is

• To collect electric truck fleet operation data to analyze the challenges and needs associated with the use of EVs in medium-duty trucking fleets.
• To help potential fleet owners gain necessary electric truck knowledge and experience to make informed decisions in electric truck adoption.

Project Details

• The participating fleet will use the medium-duty electric truck for the duration of 3 months.
• A level-2 charging station will be installed at a desired location by Smart Charge America. The station will be collected back after the study.
  *Additional options to keep the electrical infrastructure and/or the charger in the fleet after the study are available.
• Vehicle data will be automatically collected by onboard sensors and uploaded. No personal information will be collected.
• There is no deposit. Maintenance and repair of the vehicle caused by normal wear and tear, or machinery defect will be covered.
• The participating fleet will need to provide electricity to charge the electric truck.

Requirements

The participating fleet must:

• Be located in Austin, Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio
• Have experience with medium-duty trucks
• Charge the EV truck overnight at the fleet’s facility for data collection
• Fleet Manager and driver need to complete anonymous surveys before and after the study
• Log the estimated payload weight and mileage of the vehicle for each trip on the information sheet provided

Charging Station Installation (Submit):

• Photo of the desired eTruck parking location where the station will be mounted
  (Close distance to the electrical panel is preferred)
• Photo and Label of the electrical panel to draw power
  – To ensure the panel has enough capacity to provide power to the station
  (40A continuous load)
  – To determine whether additional breakers are necessary
• Approximate distance from the panel to the desired installation location

Delivery:

• The vehicle will be delivered to the fleet if the previous study location is in a different city. The fleet will need to pick up the vehicle if within the same city.

Insurance:

• The participating fleet will need to carry the required insurance. Details on the minimum insurance coverage can be found here.

Project Process

 

If you would like to participate in the project, please fill out the Application Form.

 

Vehicle Information

The Lightning Electric Ford E-450 box truck (Class-4)    More Info

Chassis: Ford E-450
GVWR: 14,500 lbs.
Payload: 6,100 lbs.
Interior usable area: 84.25” H x 94.25” W x (13’4” – 16’4”) L
All Electric Range (AER): 120 miles
Battery Capacity: 129 kW
Charge time: 16.5 hours (level-2)
Max Speed: 65mph
Peak Power: 241 HP

SEA 2021 Hino 195 truck (Class-5)     More Info

Chassis: Hino 195
Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR): 19,500 lbs.
Payload: 8,100 lbs.
Interior usable area: 91.12” H x 92.13” W x 191.63’’ L
All Electric Range (AER): 200 miles
Battery Capacity: 138 kWh
Charge time: 8.5 hours (level-2)
Max Speed: 65mph
Peak Torque: 1500 Nm

Contact Information

Principal Investigator
Prof. Junmin Wang
Tel: 512-232-2392
Email: jwang@austin.utexas.edu

General Inquiries about the Project & Participation
Mr. Jin Ahn
Tel: 512-574-2564
Email: hjahn@utexas.edu

Collaborators