6: medium-sized commercial trucks.
Class 4 – Gross vehicle weight is between 14,001 lb. to 16,000 lb. Super duty pickups and walk-in box trucks fit this description.
Class 5 – Gross vehicle weight is between 16,001 lb. to 19,500 lb. This class includes larger commercial walk-in trucks, delivery trucks and bucket trucks.
Class 6 – Gross vehicle weight is between 19,501 lb. to 26,000 lb. School buses, weighing will generally fit into this category. Class 6 is also where a Commercial Driver’s License requirement appears. This also includes delivery trucks (UPS, Fed Ex, etc.).
Classes 7 and 8 are generally the big rig trucks, as follows:
Class 7 – Gross vehicle weight is 26,001 lb. to 33,000 lb. These trucks are city street sweepers, garbage trucks, large buses, furniture trucks and smaller semi-trucks.
Class 8 – generally “severe duty” trucks such as dump trucks, cement trucks and the large semis such as Peterbilt’s, Freightliner’s, and Kenworth’s. Many of these trucks have three axles (or more) and weigh over 33,001 lb. Some of the larger rigs can weigh up to 80,000 lb.
All the above classes of vehicles have prototype or production models using batteries and electric motors in place of IC engines or diesel motors – even the large Freightliner trucks. However, the adoption and use of truck EVs is far from certain and economics plays a huge role in its future.
For instance, small trucks, pickups etc. are now available to the public in EV configuration. The Ford F-150 truck, one of the most popular trucks on the U.S. market, is now available using electric motors in place of the IC engine.
The determination of electric motors will be driven by vehicle usage combined with the initial cost and operational costs.
For example, Categories 1 through 3 and 4 through 6 trucks will be suitable for use during the day and charging at night. This is most likely a strong market for truck EV sales.
Delivery trucks such as those used by UPS and Fed Ex are good candidates as they are delivering during the day and parked (for re-charging) over night. School buses would be similar as they pick up and discharge children in the morning and late afternoon; then are parked overnight. The initial cost of electric vehicles is higher than traditional IC engines, so usage will play a large part. Table 2.6 show data on average annual miles driven.
Table 2.6 Truck Category Average Annual Miles.2
| Category | Average Annual Miles Driven |
|---|---|
| Delivery truck (e.g., UPS) | 12,500 |
| School bus | 11,000 |
| City transit bus | 42,000 |
| Class 8 semi-truck | 63,000 |
| Postal Service (USPS) long-life trucks | 5,100 |
If we consider the United States Postal Service (USPS), their full fleet of delivery trucks uses 85 million gallons of fuel per year.3 The current average price for gasoline (July 2021) is $3.22, so annual fuel costs for the whole USPS delivery fleet would be:
85 million gallons × $3.22 per gal = $273.7 million dollars annual fuel costs.
One EV USPS delivery truck electricity cost:
212,000 trucks × $408 = $86,496,000. This means, operationally, USPS could save about $187 million per year in fuel costs by switching to EVs. Of course, this does not consider the following:
Additional Costs
Capital costs to install electric charging stations
The initial higher cost of EV trucks
Cost Savings
Federal tax credits for switching to EVs
Significantly lower maintenance costs (primarily tires and brakes).
There are approximately 212,000 vehicles in the delivery fleet. The USPS fleet would be an optimal target for EV sales as they are out for delivery during the day and back to the fleet station to charge overnight.
There are many opportunities for companies looking to affiliate with the coming EV market. Table 2.7, on New EV Opportunities, outlines a few of them.
Table 2.7 Potential New EV Opportunities.
| Opportunity | Companies or Industries |
|---|---|
| Charging station manufacturers and installers | Siemens, General Electric, Tesla, and many others. |
| Truck stops and gas (charging) stations | All along highways and secondary roads, a new, extensive network of charging stations will be required. Current gas stations, malls, and restaurants are likely users. |
| Utilities | EV charging may represent large electric sales in off-peak (overnight) hours. This may increase the need for new (but cleaner), power plants. |
| Manufacturers and dealers | All car and truck manufacturers and their dealer networks will be on the forefront of EV technology implementation. |
| Battery manufacturers | Those firms that will supply auto/truck makers with new lithium or similar batteries. |
| Battery recycling | With more and larger batteries on the road, at some point there will be a need to recycle or safely dispose of car/truck batteries. |
| Rare mineral extraction companies (i.e., lithium) | Most EV car batteries use lithium as a core component. Lithium is not common in all countries and there are a limited number of companies in this specific mining extraction business. |
| Home builders and electrical contractors | EV will require car charging stations in both existing homes and new homes. This represents a lucrative business opportunity. |
Table developed by David Tennant.
Note that disruptive technologies can provide opportunities for new business creations in the areas of new products, product support, spin-off businesses, and jobs. Federal, state, and local areas consider subsidies as a positive feature for the following reasons:
