SACRAMENTO, United States, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States has witnessed rapid growth in zero-emission trucks over the past year, while facing hurdles ahead to decarbonize the country's trucking industry, a new study has revealed.
As of June 2023, more than 17,500 zero-emission trucks (ZETs) had been deployed nationwide since 2017, and ZETs had been deployed in all 50 states, according to the report by CALSTART, a California-based nonprofit organization on promoting clean transportation.
Five more states have adopted ZETs since the last report was published in May 2023, which signals that ZETs "are more popular than ever," said Jessie Lund, co-author of the report and deputy director of truck technology and partnerships at CALSTART, in an article posted on her organization's website on Tuesday.
However, the market share for ZETs remains a mere 0.14 percent, according to the report, titled "Zeroing in on Zero-emission Trucks."
California continues to lead the nation with approximately 3,075 ZETs deployed to date, though it accounts for less than 20 percent of the country's total.
Electric vans are spearheading this growth, particularly cargo vans, which represent over 80 percent of ZET deployments and face fewer hurdles for adoption.
Since 2017, over 14,400 battery-electric cargo vans have hit the roads, with 11,835 deployed in the first half of 2023 alone. Despite this rapid growth, electric cargo vans still only hold a 0.39 percent market share.
Following cargo vans are yard tractors with a deployment of 1,134, and heavy-duty trucks of 867.
Medium-and heavy-duty freight vehicles are crucial for decarbonizing U.S. transportation, as these high-mileage haulers contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
The transportation sector is responsible for the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, generating roughly 28 percent of the total emissions, and a significant portion of these emissions can be attributed to the trucking industry, according to the report.
The United States signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles in 2022 to enable 100 percent zero-emission new truck and bus sales by 2040, with a 30 percent target by 2030.
The biggest hurdle is the gap in the nation's charging network.
Joerg Heuer, CEO and co-founder of EcoG, an EV charging company, said U.S. EVs face a stark "numbers problem": 28 million charging ports are needed to meet demand by 2030, but currently there are just under 200,000.
That explains the "widespread EV charging anxieties" and the obstacles to broader adoption, he wrote in an article published by Barron's on Jan 16.
The U.S. government announced grants of 623 million U.S. dollars for charging infrastructure last week, with a focus on disadvantaged communities and freight trucks.
The money is part of the 7.5 billion-dollar investment for EV charging in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Heuer said it would depend on how public investment promotes competition in the private sector, and whether the right charging hardware is installed in the right places.
As he sees it, the "right technology" should focus on software-updateable fast direct current (DC) chargers that provide a flexible power source.
There are two kinds of 'fuels' that can be used in electric cars. They're called alternating current (AC) and DC power. The power that comes from the grid is always AC. However, batteries, like the one in EV, can only store power as DC.
The difference between AC charging and DC charging is the location where the AC power gets converted; inside or outside the vehicle. Unlike AC chargers, a DC charger has a converter inside.
DC chargers are bigger, and faster than AC chargers.
Heuer's views were echoed by Lund who perceived "sustained action and investment" from the government as "essential."
The top priorities Lund identified include building public charging and developing high-powered charging technology.
For most ZETs on the market today, available charging speeds currently max out around 350 kilowatts (kW), resulting in longer recharge times and requiring more batteries onboard to meet the range needs of a truck's duty cycle, she explained.
In addition, small fleets face unique challenges to deploy ZETs, including less awareness of the technology, a lack of capital, and a shortage of charging infrastructure, she added. ■
