BEV HD Trucks Anatomy - Chargers
BEVs need time to become mainstream for number of reasons, like mileage anxiety, market acceptance, and lack of charging infrastructure. Availability, capacity, type of chargers in addition to charging business models implementation are the challenges of today, these challenges to a far extend affect sales or BEVs.
Commercial vehicles in general are built to perform specific transport tasks, such tasks define transport characteristics like required mileage, operating hours, and number of daily shifts. Transport economy will be always on the corner therefore initial investment, Total Cost of Ownership “TCO” will be always monitored by fleet managers and owners. Transport operations and economy have to fulfilled in order to help battery electric trucks being used in mor versatile applications.
In this article will focus on role of chargers on fastening battery electric trucks deployment.
Charging Modes
There are 5 types of charging BEVs, starting from the household socket, all the way to the MW Mega Watt charger. MW chargers not commercially available right now, it is expected to hit the market by 2025.
Non all of these modes are applicable to HD electric commercial vehicles. AC charges of Mode 3 upto 42KW is mainly used for depot overnight charging. It needs 7 to 8 hrs to charge truck of 290Kwh batteries of SOC 10% to SOC 80%. For DC fast chargers a tractor head of around 540Kwh battery system it may require 90 min to charge SOC 10% to 80%.
Starting Mode 3 communication protocols are available, to facilities power monitoring, billing, and charger utilization, hence Mode 3 facilitate commercial usage of the charger.
Charging Interface
There are several interfaces for chargers, for AC and DC systems. Many factors involves, vehicle OEMs battery system, and available chargers in the region,
CCS “ Combined Charging System”, which allows both AC and DC charging systems. CSS is The most common charging interface for european HD commercial vehicle. With CSS2 vehicles can enjoy fast charging of 350KW.
Charging Techniques/Methods
Batteries store electrical energy via chemical reaction which result heat generation, and battery elements properties degradation. These reasons push charger manufacturers to create methods or techniques to charge batteries quickly yet safely, maintain battery health, and extend batteries charging cycles.
There is no a clear winner technique, each of them has its pros and cons, and depend heavily on the how accurately estimates the SOH of battery cells.
Transport Segments Vs Chargers
Battery electric trucks as of today face two main challenges, Operation, and charging infrastructure. Battery Packs capacity, size, and weight limits the payload truck can carry, and affect the mileage can cover, while availability of charging infrastructure will affect the usability and functionality of the BEV HD commercial vehicles.
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Waste Management/Utility Trucks
19 to 26 Tons GVW trucks, works in general 1 or 2 shift, covered mileage is around 150km/day, and PTO functionality is needed. These trucks should not stop between stops to top up or recharge their batteries. These trucks should be able to complete a designated route doing its job, and reach the depot safely. In Depot charging system should be available to charge truck is parking/non utilized time. In such scenario hybrid system of slow/fast chargers should be built with focus on charging time not to exceed the available time between shifts
Regional Delivery/Urban Construction
Tractor heads upto 44Tons GCW, and Rigids up 38 Tons, works in general in open route, straight from depot to distribution center or logistical hub with a milage between 600 to 800km/day, require on roadside fast chargers. Routes can be planned to reach safely the available charging points, however the speed of charging network, and the availability of ultra fast chargers can help bringing BEVs mainstream. Truck stoppage should be not be more than a driver break
Transport canvas push chargers manufacturers, to move on both AC & DC chargers in a way to find sweet spot of charging speed. The need gap to DC fast chargers should be filled by charging infrastructure operator’s. Opportunity unity charging business looks promising, yet the economics around still challenging. In a simple version to setup a fast charging spot, you need the following:
Average cost of 350KW charger is 130,000 USD
There are two topics going in parallel, availability of charging infrastructure, and expected utilization. Number of electric trucks on roads still very limited, which result low charging equipment utilization in case of availability. Governmental incentives is required to motivate companies to invest in charging business which at the end will help customer to depend on electric trucks more.
Even though BEV HD commercial vehicles still faraway from being mainstream, however it seems like there is huge competition among chargers manufacturers. We can find two types of companies, very rooted companies work in electric networks, and newly setup companies with charger domain of business only. The competition is to offer a full range of service supported with on ground service and maintenance routines.
Before wrapping up, we will list some of the challenges with chargers and charging companies
Chargers Challenges
Charging Companies Challenges
To make electric trucks popular, many hands should be together; governments, truck OEMs, Charger OEMS, and charging station companies. It is expected by second half of this decade batteries to be more dense, and chargers to reach the Mega Watt