While billions of dollars are still on the table to build out the electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the federal government is seeking answers to questions specific to powering up electric trucks.
The Federal Highway Administration has published a request for information regarding electric truck charging infrastructure and technology. Information gleaned from stakeholders will guide the federal government in decisions affecting the deployment of a nationwide charging network while keeping in mind the needs of electric truck manufacturers, fleet operators, drivers, charging station operators and electric utilities.
Specifically, FHWA wants feedback in four key categories:
- Unique electric vehicle charger and station needs
- Vehicle charging patterns
- Electric truck charger technology and standardization
- Workforce, supply chain and manufacturing to support charging of electric trucks
Although FHWA’s request for information focuses on technical aspects of electric truck charging, the agency is asking questions that pertain to truck drivers.
For example, the agency wants more insight into the anticipated need for overnight parking in the next five years or longer. FHWA wants to know if future truck parking should be dedicated to electric trucks that are actively charging.
Earlier this year, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association raised concerns over charging stations taking over precious space needed to address the nationwide truck parking crisis.
“We definitely don’t have enough places to put chargers,” OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh told The Washington Post. “If you can’t answer that for an automobile, for heaven’s sake, forget it for a truck.”
Other questions relevant to drivers include:
- What would be an appropriate maximum distance between electric truck public charging stations along/from an interstate highway?
- What are the typical mileage ranges of electric trucks?
- What is the expectation for charging and/or dwell times, and how does that vary by use (e.g., local vs. long-haul) or other factors?
- What actions are being taken by fleet owners/operators to ensure that necessary power is available in charging locations?
The public will have 60 days from Thursday, Sept. 12 to submit answers to FHWA’s questions. To submit comments, visit the docket webpage here or go to Regulations.gov and enter Docket No. FHWA-2024-0028.
Electric truck charging infrastructure shortfall
Stakeholders have raised concerns about a lack of charging stations for electric trucks as new federal and state emission standards push the adoption of the emerging technology.
Addressing this issue, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law in 2021 provides $7.5 billion to build a national EV charging infrastructure, which includes 500,000 chargers. However, fewer than 10 stations had been built by the beginning of this year. Part of the delay is due to the fact that stakeholders and investors are still trying to figure out the logistics behind building new stations.
One major concern is grid capacity. According to congressional testimony, fleet owners are having difficulty getting city approval for electric truck charging stations.
In July, several senators raised concerns over grid capacity during a Budget Committee hearing. Britta Gross, director of transportation at the Electric Power Research Institute, pointed out that when it comes to overtaxing local distribution systems, electric trucks, not electric passenger vehicles, will cause the most problems.
In March, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation released its National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy. The nonbinding plan lays out a four-phase approach to create a charging and hydrogen-fueling infrastructure for zero-emission trucks from 2024 to 2040.
More recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded more than $500 million to electric vehicle charging projects. However, only a few of those projects directly address the needs of electric trucks, focusing instead on light- and medium-duty vehicles. LL