Building a roadmap for electric truck charging: Our US Northeast freight corridors charging plan

This week we’ve kicked off a landmark study to support the #electrification of commercial fleets in the US Northeast, driving an effort to map out truck charging needs across nearly 3,000 miles of major highways spanning nine states.

Funded by a $1.2 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) , the two-year effort will focus on highways with heavy trucking traffic, such as I-95 and I-90, and develop 20-year demand forecasts for more than 100 sites.

Supporting transport electrification

As more electric trucks enter roadways, we must plan and invest in grid and charging infrastructure to keep pace and support their power needs. Larger #ElectricVehicles require frequent recharging on long-haul routes, but charging options remain few and far between, with most sites only equipped to serve smaller passenger vehicles.

Electrifying truck stops and highway sites for fast charging can require a lot of power, as forecasted by our 2022 Electric Highways Study – with some sites demanding as much power as a stadium on game night or even a small town. Once completed, the Northeast freight corridors charging plan will inform on the kind of electric infrastructure needed, where it’s needed, and when it’s needed.

“This study will help deepen the understanding of electrification needs and help New York State and the region strategically put more medium and heavy-duty electric trucks on the road,” said David Sandbank, Vice President of Distributed Energy Resources New York State Energy Research and Development Authority ( NYSERDA ), “Growing the number of charging locations throughout key travel corridors will lower emissions and pollution while ensuring goods and services are delivered in a cleaner, more sustainable way.”

Advancing our #NetZero commitment

Electric trucks are the largest emitting sector of the Northeast’s economy, so this shift is crucial to helping these states reach their climate goals in the years ahead. ?

“A rapid transition to zero-emission freight transport is urgently needed to slash greenhouse gas emissions and to improve air quality and public health in the communities along freight routes that have long borne inequitable impacts from diesel-powered trucking,” said Paul Miller, Executive Director of NESCAUM , a regional association of air quality agencies in eight northeast states that will help engage state governments in the Northeast freight corridors charging plan. “This foundational study will help to expedite a charging network that can scale quickly and cost-effectively as more zero-emission trucks take to the road.”

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A coordinated effort

Governments, communities, utilities and the transportation industry all have a role to play in future-proofing our infrastructure to enable the electrification of transportation throughout the region. ?

That’s why we’re engaging with key partners to help communities meet with policy- and market-driven demand both now and in the future. For this groundbreaking study effort, we’ve partnered with RMI , the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management ( NESCAUM ), Clean Communities of Central New York (Clean Cities) and DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

The study team will first forecast charging patterns at 100 sites, before focusing on a smaller set of specific locations to determine potential infrastructure investments required to enable charging. The broader goal is to help states seek federal funding to support the buildout of these sites, backed by rigorous analysis and industry support.

"Readying our grid infrastructure for electric trucks will require careful planning and close collaboration across state lines,” said Bart Franey, Vice President of Clean Energy Development - New York at National Grid . “This DOE grant award brings the right stakeholders into the same room to chart a clear course for electric truck charging across the Northeast. This roadmap will inform efforts by states, utilities, communities and industry leaders to create a seamless truck charging network across the region.”

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Mapping out an East Coast charging network

On a broader scale, we’ll closely collaborate with CALSTART – the recipient of a similar DOE grant – to map out truck charging needs south of our study area in the Northeast. The two studies are set to cover a combined 3,700 miles of highways and freight corridors up and down the East Coast, including 1,300 miles of I-95 from Georgia all the way to the Canadian border – plotting out what could be one of the longest truck charging corridors in the country. This combined analysis will serve as a roadmap for powering a charging network that will help keep freight moving from point A to point B across the entire East Coast region.

“The I-95 Corridor project, once completed, will put into practice the integration of zero-emission vehicles, infrastructure and addressing climate-change issues that has been carried out in other areas of the country,” said John Boesel, president and CEO of CALSTART , “The successful implementation of this project will put to rest the unfounded concerns of zero-emission opponents by demonstrating that this technology is both economically feasible and a benefit to all.”

Read more about our US electric highways study