September 4, 2019 Vol. 16 No. 18

Volvo is not quite ready with electric trucks on the road in the U.S., but it’s not too far behind Daimler Trucks North America. It’s still on track, I believe, to see all-electric VNR regional-haul demonstrator trucks put into service in California late this year, ahead of a planned commercial North American roll-out in 2020.

Ironically, one of the carriers who will get one of the first batch of electric VNRs is New Jersey’s NFI Industries, which also has an eCascadia in its possession now. Both trucks will do drayage work at California container ports. Playing the field in the search for efficiency, I guess. It’s no coincidence.

Last November, Bill Bliem, NFI’s senior vice president, fleet services, and his team met with their primary OEM suppliers and asked to be involved in battery electric vehicle development and testing in exchange for their input.

“We see BEVs in the short-term future being utilized for drayage and dedicated routes. Since NFI’s expertise is in dedicated contract carriage and drayage, we hope to provide valuable input into the BEV development process,” said Bliem earlier this year.

	The first Volvo FE Electric, a refuse truck, began operating early this year in Hamburg, Germany. Two refuse-collection trucks in the lighter FL Electric range, shown here, are in regular use in Gothenburg, Sweden

Early in 2018, NFI began exploring the reality of electric-powered Class 8 tractors, particularly for drayage operations. In October 2017, it acquired California Cartage Company, one of the largest port drayage companies in the country, expanding its drayage operations. Electric tractors are a perfect fit.

“Protecting the earth by running zero-emissions vehicles will benefit everyone,” said Bliem. “Once battery costs and weight decrease, BEVs’ total cost of ownership should be at or below the [total cost of ownership] of a diesel tractor. With the subtraction of an internal combustion engine and transmission, the different levels of autonomy can be attained more efficiently as well.”

Volvo Trucks plans to develop eight Class 8 electric trucks for use in California with technology based on the FE Electric Truck already in limited use in Sweden.

VOLVO LIGHTS IS THE UMBRELLA for this project. Its full name being ‘Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions’, it’s a public-private partnership that involves 16 partners working together to transform freight operations at the facilities of two leading fleets – NFI and Dependable Highway Express, based in Ontario, CA.  It’s all part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that’s said to put “billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.”

The post The Electric Market is Buzzing appeared first on Today's Trucking.

“While demonstrating electric trucks being used in real-world applications, the Volvo LIGHTS project also exhibits the need for an interconnected approach of OEMs, governments, energy providers, charging infrastructure, fleet owners, and others collaborating to further sustainable urban development,” says Keith Brandis, vice president of product planning with Volvo Trucks.

Volvo LIGHTS will also integrate non-truck battery electric equipment, non-proprietary chargers, and solar energy production equipment. The goal is to eliminate an estimated 3.57 tons of air pollutants and 3,020 tons of greenhouse gases annually.

“This is an excellent opportunity to show the end-to-end potential of electrification,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “From solar energy harvesting at our customer locations, to electric vehicle uptime services, to potential second uses for batteries, this project will provide invaluable experience and data for the whole value chain.”

THE PROJECT WILL ULTIMATELY deploy 23 Class 8 Volvo battery-electric trucks and 24 zero-emission forklifts, along with 58 heavy-duty fast chargers and other related equipment, in the California cities of Ontario, Chino, Fontana, and Placentia.

Funding for the demo project comes from the California Air Resources Board, which has preliminarily awarded $44.8 million to the South Coast Air Quality Management District to fund the project.

For part of this project, SCAQMD has a $150-million grant available for the project, covering not only trucks, but also turning a location to near-zero emissions with solar, electric yard hostlers, electric forklifts, etc., explained Joe Finney, chief operating officer, at Dependable. “Our new Ontario, California, location, which we built three years ago, is a perfect spot for that development. Our plan is to cover every elevated surface with solar panels, add covered parking for our employees, and cover those with solar, as well as adding additional covered area in the yard.”

CUMMINS WILL DEAL WITH OLD BATTERIES after recently signing a multi-year partnership with the University of California San Diego and its battery validation lab. It will analyze viable business and technical approaches to re-use and re-purpose electric vehicle batteries effectively. It’s a question that’s been asked often in recent years, without an obvious and comprehensive answer. We may soon have it.

Under the agreement, UC San Diego will perform accelerated testing and real-world application testing, and will develop an outdoor second-life demonstration system comprised of Cummins battery modules. The collaboration will enable Cummins to acquire valuable data on the aging behaviors of its battery modules, test integration solutions for second-life battery systems, and validate stationary energy-storage system performance under grid energy storage applications.

“Electrification has the potential to play an enormous role as we move toward decarbonization of many industries, but in order to maximize that potential, it’s crucial that we focus on the sustainability of the entire product life cycle,” said Julie Furber, vice president, Electrified Power, at Cummins. “One piece of the puzzle that requires additional research is the second life of batteries, and Cummins now has a highly-skilled and capable partner in UC San Diego as we move towards the development of re-use solutions.”

	Cummins is in partnership with the University of California San Diego to analyze viable business and technical approaches to re-use and re-purpose electric vehicle batteries

BATTERIES RETIRED FROM ELECTRIC vehicles still maintain significant capacity. While that capacity may no longer meet the minimum requirements for the initial application, they could provide sufficient capacity for less demanding applications. Re-purposing batteries to less demanding applications not only provides a higher value through the life of the battery, it increases sustainability by postponing recycling as well.

“Cummins is the nexus between the transportation and stationary energy storage sectors,” said Mike Ferry, director of Energy Storage and Systems at the Center for Energy Research, UC San Diego. “Battery module design is a crucial aspect to making second life more feasible and their experience will be invaluable as we continue to develop solutions. Given their reputation, global footprint, and all they’ve accomplished in the last century, it’s a real privilege to partner with them on this project.”

Founded in 2018, the Electrified Power business of Cummins designs and manufactures fully electric and hybrid powertrain systems along with components and subsystems to serve commercial markets as they adopt electrification.

The partnership with UC San Diego represents one of the first lithium-ion battery projects to exclusively study second-life battery capabilities with batteries that were designed for commercial applications.

DANA DIPS INTO CANADA AGAIN, having just acquired Quebec’s Nordresa Motors. That continues the Ohio company’s apparent love affair with Canadian electric technology. Earlier this year Dana made a 55% majority investment in Quebec-based TM4, now Dana TM4, which designs and manufactures motors, power inverters, and control systems. It was formerly a subsidiary of Hydro Quebec, a huge power utility, which retains 45% ownership.

Nordresa, based in Montreal, is known for its expertise in the development and commercialization of electric powertrains for commercial vehicles. Two systems are presently available: the W Series, for a walk-in van based on Ford’s E-450 chassis, and the T Series, fitted to cab-forward Isuzu trucks. That lineup is about to expand, it seems clear.

Dana said the investment is aimed at improving its ability to deliver complete electric powertrain systems. Dana plans to combine its portfolio of motors, inverters, chargers, gearboxes, and thermal-management products with Nordresa’s proprietary battery-management system, electric powertrain controls, and integration experience to further this goal.

“Nordresa’s experience designing and integrating electric vehicle systems enables Dana to offer our customers a complete system solution, including fully-integrated e-axles, battery and powertrain controls, and thermal management,” said James Kamsickas, Dana president and CEO. “Each of Dana’s customers are at different points on their electrification journey and our strategy remains focused on supporting them with industry-leading technology and expertise for all vehicle architectures.”

	Mack Defense is partnering with Truck-Lite to provide lighting systems for the M917A3 heavy dump truck that withstands the harsh environments of defense operations

NORDRESA’S ABILITY TO INTEGRATE all of the different components of an electric powertrain while customizing the battery-storage and management systems will help Dana offer customers the most efficient solutions, according to the company.

“The electrification of commercial vehicles is rapidly increasing, and Nordresa was in search of a company with a strong heritage and customer-centric culture that would further accelerate our business,” said Sylvain Castonguay, president and CEO of Nordresa.  “Joining Dana provides Nordresa access to a global footprint, diverse customer base, and complete portfolio of electrification capabilities that will create long-term value for our customers.”

Dana’s TM4 investment also brought a 50% stake in Prestolite E-Propulsion Systems, a joint venture in China between TM4 and Prestolite Electric Beijing Ltd. Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor Co. bought Prestolite, based in Plymouth, MI, back in 2015.

WESTERN STAR WANTS A BIGGER BITE of the vocational pie, writes my colleague James Menzies, editor of Truck News. With that aim in sight, although it already enjoys a healthy presence in that market, the company has enhanced its 4700 model to improve the driver and body-builder experience.

The overall NAFTA Class 8 vocational truck market represents about 70% of its build volumes.

“We are getting closer to our customers and understanding their specific needs,” David Carson, Western Star president, said during a recent press event.

The market remains strong, he said, adding, “There’s lots of ordering going on.”

Carson attributed this to the “tremendous amount of capital” that has already been allocated to infrastructure projects across North America.

“We’re optimistic,” he said of the vocational truck market. “We don’t have a crystal ball, and as things change in the regional economy and global economy, we could see some of that cyclicality come into play.”

ENHANCEMENTS TO THE WESTERN STAR 4700 were aimed at improving the body upfit process and the driver experience. New safety features have also been added, something Carson said vocational customers are just starting to demand.

“Vocational customers used to not be interested in paying for those features, or they believed since most of the time they’re off-road they didn’t need them,” he said of active safety features. “But with consolidation in different segments and bigger businesses buying smaller regional companies, they’re quite focused on risk management and safety features and want to ensure they have the best technology available on those vocational trucks.”

Samantha Parlier, vice-president of marketing and product strategy with Western Star, explained some of the 4700’S enhancements, including an upgraded electrical system and interior.

“Frankly, the most important thing about a vocational truck is that it can be upfit to do its job,” she said. “You can have the toughest truck and if you can’t put a body on it, it’s useless.”

AN ALL-NEW ELECTRICAL SYSTEM simplifies the body upfit process, and a new ground wire stud was added under the hood. Optional transition plates on the frame rail give the frame more strength to withstand the force put on it by a cement mixer.

The area where the pump is mounted on a mixer truck is free of air tanks and other components, so body builders don’t have to relocate parts before adding the body. The Cummins X12 engine shaves off about 600 lb depending on other options, which adds about 1/8th of a yard of concrete-producing capability.

“If you’re making eight or 10 turns a day, it really starts to add up,” Parlier noted.

The Wabco OnGuard collision mitigation system is available, and an aggressively sloped hood provides good visibility for the driver on job sites. A Third Eye camera system is also available, giving the driver 360-degree visibility around the truck.

The interior features an updated dash with LCD screen and now USB power port availability. The engine-brake controls have been moved to the steering wheel from the dash and more controls are accessible on the steering wheel.

GOTTA LOVE A MILITARY TRUCK, like this Mack M917A3 heavy dump, or HDT. In this case, Mack Defense is partnering with Truck-Lite which will provide lighting systems.

“To meet the demanding specifications of the U.S. Army, Mack Defense assembled a world class team of suppliers to develop a best-in-class vehicle,” said Jack Terefinko, Mack Defense acquisition program manager. “That includes working with partners like Truck-Lite, which has years of experience in developing military-spec equipment.”

Since 1998, Truck-Lite is said to have produced military-spec lighting that meets or exceeds the military’s strict lighting standards. Its participation in the program brings its blackout drive lights, front and rear composite lights, and auxiliary lighting.

The U.S. Army awarded Mack Defense a firm-fixed-price US$296-million contract in May 2018 to produce up to 683 M917A3 HDTs. Based on the commercially available Granite dump truck, the M917A3 has been “optimized” to meet the demanding requirements of the U.S. Army with heavier-duty rear axles, all-wheel drive, increased suspension ride height, and other rugged features.

THIS NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED every two weeks by Newcom Media. For the most part it’s a heads-up notice about what’s going on with trucking technology. I also write here about interesting products that may not have had the ‘air play’ they deserved within the last few months, and maybe about issues that warrant attention in my occasionally humble opinion.

I should remind you that, with the odd exception, I don’t endorse any of the products I write about in this e-newsletter, nor do I have the resources to test them except on rare occasions. What you’re getting is reasonably well educated opinion based on 40 years in trucking. I am, by the way, editor at large on Today’s Trucking and executive contributing editor on Heavy Duty Trucking magazines.

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