Join every day information updates from CleanTechnica on e mail. Or observe us on Google Information!
The long-lasting US automaker Tesla has made a behavior of grabbing the electrical car highlight and focusing it on vehicles, pickup vehicles, and long-haul semis. Nonetheless, decarbonizing the trailer a part of a tractor-trailer truck could be simply as consequential, if not fairly as attention-getting. With that in thoughts, let’s check out the main US meals distribution agency Efficiency Meals Group, which is transitioning its diesel fleet to electrical vehicles geared up with solar-enabled electrical refrigeration trailers.
Reefer Insanity: Decarbonizing The US Refrigerated Truck Fleet
Within the meals distribution enterprise, electrical vehicles solely resolve one a part of the diesel gasoline drawback. If the meals being hauled requires temperature controls, that usually entails an onboard diesel generator devoted to producing the electrical energy wanted to run refrigeration programs.
A generally cited estimate is about 500,000 reefers — refrigerated trailers — on the roads within the US. Add in smaller refrigerated vehicles and that provides as much as loads of diesel gasoline for that generator.
Our pals over at Freight Waves ran the numbers in January of 2023 and famous that reefer gasoline is an identical to straightforward diesel, besides it’s dyed crimson to differentiate it from engine gasoline. Reefer gasoline will not be permitted to be used in powering the truck engine itself, just for refrigeration generator. It doesn’t fall underneath the identical taxes scheme as commonplace diesel, so it’s not as costly as common diesel. Nonetheless, it’s not low-cost. “As of December 2022, the nationwide common price was $2.74 per mile,” noticed Freight Waves reporter A
Placing it one other manner, explains that reefer gasoline tanks usually have a 50-gallon capability and want refilling each 2–4 days, based mostly on a mean utilization charge of 0.75 gallons of gasoline per hour. That may fluctuate from 0.50 to 1.00 gallons per hour, relying on the effectivity of the system.
“If a reefer unit runs out of gasoline, the refrigeration mills will shut down, and the temperature-sensitive items inside will spoil,” cautioned. “It will also be tough to restart a reefer unit after working out of gasoline, so it’s greatest to take care of at the least 1 / 4 tank of reefer gasoline always.”
Efficiency Meals Group Banks On Electrical Vehicles
In the event you caught that factor about working out of gasoline, that explains why refrigerated meals haulers have to tread cautiously on electrical vehicles. Operating out of juice can spoil a whole cargo.
Nonetheless, Efficiency Meals Group is prepared to make a go of it, with a funding help from public businesses and assist from dependable personal sector companions.
PFG tapped its sprawling distribution heart in Gilroy, California, to start out issues off. In an embargoed press launch shared with CleanTechnica, PFG listed six new Class 8 Volvo VNR electrical vehicles as one a part of the decarbonization undertaking, bought with vouchers from California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Undertaking.
Photo voltaic Panels For Electrical Vehicles
The opposite half is the substitute of diesel-powered reefers, or TRUs (transport refrigeration items) as they’re formally identified, with 100% electrical TRUs from the agency Advance Vitality Machines. The total “SolarTechTRU” package consists of a rooftop photo voltaic panel array of 35 kilowatt-hours per day together with a lithium-ion battery pack. The corporate notes that its patented regenerative braking system additionally produces 12 kilowatt-hours per day on common.
AEM calculates that the solar-enabled system is ample to cut back if not get rid of grid-sourced electrical energy to run its high-efficiency refrigeration system — although, that depends upon the temperature. The photo voltaic panels alone present 100% of every day energy for 34 levels Fahrenheit and above, and about 35% for sub-zero temperatures.
In an fascinating twist, AEM additionally notes that its know-how is engineered to be eliminated and put in on one other new trailer, or put in as a retrofit on current diesel-powered trailers. “The SolarTechTRU outlives the standard life span of chilly chain trailers. The SolarTechTRU is designed to be put in onto new trailers, or to take the place of soiled diesel TRUs, and it may be moved from trailer to trailer,” the corporate explains.
To date, PFG has changed greater than 30 typical TRUs with AEM’s new zero-emission SolarTechTRU fashions. “Every of the electrical TRU installations accomplished inside PFG’s fleet of refrigerated trailers has helped PFG get rid of roughly 20 tons of CO2 per TRU, per 12 months,” PFG reviews.
Who’s Going To Cost All These Electrical Vehicles?
As for charging up the brand new vehicles, PFG turned to FreeWire Applied sciences, a well-known face on the pages of CleanTechnica. The identify FreeWire refers back to the firm’s battery-integrated EV charging stations, which allow it to offer ultra-fast charging with out relying instantly on the grid.
For the Gilroy web site, FreeWire put in 15 of its Increase EV charging stations, which PFG can use to cost as much as 30 Class 8 electrical vehicles at a time.
“FreeWire’s vitality necessities are practically 10x decrease than conventional chargers, decreasing peak vitality demand and grid pressure whereas offering extra environment friendly energy,” PFG enthused.
The vitality storage angle additionally enabled PFG to scoot previous the road for hookups. “PFG was in a position so as to add 3MW of energy wanted for ultrafast charging to their current facility, leapfrogging the native utility firm’s three-year timeline,” the corporate defined.
Extra Photo voltaic Icing On The Inexperienced Cake: What About Meals Vehicles?
Rounding out PFG’s decarbonization plan for the Gilroy facility is a brand new 1.5 megawatt rooftop photo voltaic array and a 500kW/1100kWh vitality storage system, designed round charging wants for the corporate’s rising fleet of electrical vehicles.
That’s only for starters. PFG notes it plans to proceed working with its companions on the Gilroy undertaking to decarbonize its different 150 places unfold out throughout the US.
All this exercise within the long-haul refrigerated meals distribution space reminds us that it might be an ideal thought to decarbonize retail meals vehicles, too, starting with the diesel-spewing ice cream vehicles that poison the lungs of kids ready in line for his or her ice lotions.
Among the many main world automakers, Nissan has teased the thought with its repurposed e-NV200 electrical van, in partnership with the renewables-friendly ice cream and chocolate maker Mackie’s of Scotland.
Startups are additionally stepping into the act. The New Jersey ice cream purveyor Scream Vehicles not too long ago acquired a battery-powered makeover from the vitality storage agency Joule Case.
you, Mister Softee….
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Wish to promote? Wish to counsel a visitor for our CleanTech Speak podcast? Contact us right here.
Newest CleanTechnica.TV Video
CleanTechnica makes use of affiliate hyperlinks. See our coverage right here.
