Electrifying truck freight transport to meet regulatory requirements and voluntary sustainability goals can be expensive and time consuming. One California company has figured out a way to get it done faster and at less cost than once thought possible.
Sustainability is a hot topic across the logistics industry. In addition, freight movement has been identified as a major contributor to both greenhouse gas and criteria pollutants. Tapping into this dynamic, legislators across the nation have introduced a slew of rules and regulations aimed at reducing emissions caused by commercial trucks. Many of these policies — especially those coming out of California — focus on cleaning up the trucking sector.
With reduced- and zero-emission compliance deadlines looming, fleets are considering their electric truck adoption options. While some carriers are excited about the environmental and cost-savings opportunities associated with electric trucks, the financial burden that comes with that adoption can be difficult to overcome.
To help fleets comply with emerging emissions regulations, several state governments provide a number of financial incentives. While California leads the pack in both legislative regulations and incentive programs, many states offer some kind of incentive for electrification. Additionally, multiple federal programs — such as a significant tax credit included in the Inflation Reduction Act — are designed to absorb some of the financial burden associated with electric truck adoption.
Government incentives can make electrification more attainable, but it is not always enough to help the average carrier get a fleet of electric trucks on the road. WattEV has set out to bridge the gap between carriers and incentive programs.
WattEV uses a combination of state incentives for truck buys, volume purchasing plans for electricity and productivity improvement measures to make the cost of electric freight transport competitive with diesel. While the company focuses the bulk of its efforts on California routes where it has built reliable charging facilities, it’s making headway in expanding its charging network into Oregon and Washington State as well.
Systematically reducing electric truck charging time is one of the most forward-thinking ways WattEV plans to increase productivity.
“From its inception, WattEV has considered cost competitiveness, advancement in technology and innovation as critical elements to increased adoption,” said Salim Youssefzadeh, WattEV CEO and co-founder. “Top among these are reduction in charge time by moving towards megawatt charging and affordable energy cost by moving towards on-site energy generation.”
To further its mission, WattEV plans to launch its first of many solar-operated charging depots with megawatt charging capabilities in May, adding a third truck depot to grid-connected charging depots near the Port of Long Beach and in San Bernardino to the east. The Bakersfield depot is intended to demonstrate that innovative charging infrastructure is ready and available, aimed at encouraging truck manufacturers to accelerate delivery of trucks with megawatt charging capability.
By making electrification more affordable and accessible, WattEV is making it possible for more carriers to take advantage of the perks associated with electric trucks. While regulatory compliance is top of mind in the current legislative environment, it is not the only benefit carriers stand to gain.
Aside from addressing sustainability compliance concerns, drivers who use electric trucks often find them easier to operate, providing a higher level of comfort and ease of operation. Prioritizing driver job satisfaction is crucial for carriers working to improve recruitment and retention efforts in a difficult labor market.
Current regulatory efforts focus largely on carriers, but shippers are becoming increasingly interested in the environmental impact of their transportation partners. End consumers are more invested in the sustainability profiles of their favorite brands than ever before.
As a result, many shippers have publicly issued specific and deadlined sustainability goals, most of which focus on their transportation strategies. Now, they need to meet those deadlines.
In addition to meeting their own sustainability goals, shippers can access serious cost savings through the adoption of electric trucks.
“The cost of regulated electricity is far more stable than diesel fuel,” said Youssefzadeh of WattEV. “Shippers interested in long-term price stability have the benefit of entering into long-term freight contracts with zero-emission carriers in order to avoid future price escalation due to increases in fuel prices.”
WattEV is prepared to help both shippers and carriers access the full suite of benefits electrification has to offer.
“We provide a one-stop solution to shippers and carriers through a vertically integrated operation so they can transition to zero-emission freight affordably, with least impact to their existing workflow,” said Youssefzadeh.