TELF AG analyzes the integration of electric trucks into modern logistics systems
New potentialities
In global discussions on next-generation electric vehicles, there is often a particular emphasis on small or medium-sized cars for daily travel, especially by private citizens. A category of vehicles that is less discussed is that of electric trucks, which, although still very limited in their use, could have all the credentials to promote a gradual transformation of logistics, mobility, and international trade, especially if the various obstacles to their widespread use are removed thanks to technological progress.
This topic was also recently addressed in one of the latest McKinsey reports, highlighting all the potential and challenges concerning the production of these particular zero-emission vehicles. According to the report, we are in a delicate transition phase in which electric trucks powered by batteries (but also hydrogen) are increasingly being considered for a gradual addition to traditional vehicles, which are still the preferred choice in the logistics sector. The spread of these electric trucks, according to McKinsey, is only in an initial phase, mainly due to various relevant issues related to the autonomy of the vehicle and the need, in certain circumstances, to reduce the overall weight of the goods to facilitate full use of the vehicle.
According to the report, in 2022, most of these vehicles (about 90%) would have been sold in China, with other parts of the world having recorded reasonable growth rates recently as well. But what are the structural characteristics of these innovative vehicles? These trucks are about two tons heavier than traditional ones, and the first recharge must take place after having traveled a distance considered relatively short, sometimes less than 400 km. According to the report, the installation of larger batteries could represent a possible solution, but this would entail a further increase in the vehicle’s weight and the probable impossibility of transiting in certain territories, especially in countries that impose certain weight limits for trucks.
The main obstacles
Trucks could, therefore, be forced to give up part of their load to be able to count on more performing, but also heavier, batteries. This eventuality determines a series of operational and economic unknowns for the companies that employ them. In this regard, McKinsey cites a practical example: to have a range of 600 kilometers, a battery-powered electric truck could have to give up about 10% of its load capacity compared to traditional trucks. Therefore, as seen from the McKinsey report, a certain degree of transformation in the logistics sector would be necessary to allow electric trucks to spread in greater numbers. These changes would primarily concern the management of transported weight, the number of distances traveled, the optimization of charging systems distributed along motorway networks, and the adoption of more performing batteries with a higher energy density. These transformations could also concern the administrative area since vehicle weight limitations are directly contained in national regulations.
According to McKinsey, a possible solution to weight problems could involve fuel cell electric trucks, whose operation is based on a resource, hydrogen, which boasts a higher energy density than that of batteries, thus making it possible for trucks to transport heavier loads. Even in this case, however, we would find ourselves in a primordial phase of development since these vehicles would require a relevant diffusion of hydrogen refueling stations and the overall growth of the entire hydrogen supply chain.
