They’ve not even been released yet, but already it seems as though electric HGV’s are like buses. You wait forever for one, and then 2 come along at the same time! September is a very exciting time for the HGV world. Not only have we just had news of the new electric postal vans, but we also have the announcement of an electric HGV from premium electric car manufacturer Tesla. Tesla is well known for beings cutting edge and producing gorgeous, high-end cars, so seeing them move into the HGV industry is incredibly exciting. And with the looming threat of a diesel ban hovering over our heads, the haulage industry needs to know if electric HGV’s are a plausible solution.
Tesla
- The initial model will have a range of 200-300 miles per charge
- Later models will range up to 1000 miles per charge
- They will be produced in the Fremont manufacturing facility in California
- Initial models will only feature a day cab, with no sleeper compartments. Again, these will be available in later models
- The design is very rounded and curvy compared to most HGV’s of its size, presumably to boost aerodynamics and increase efficiency
- The electric version will match traditional diesel models for torque and range.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the first images of the all-electric Tesla earlier this year, with the darkened image showing a glowing EV lorry with little more than it’s LED lights piercing the darkness. This was the very first confirmation from Musk that he had set his sights on the commercial market, and we can’t wait to see the results.
Cummins
- The cab itself weighs 18,000 lb
- It can haul a 22-ton trailer with no problems
- Maximum range of 100 miles
- It has been designed for urban and short haul delivery, not long haul trips
- Charge time is 1 hour, with the promise of bringing that down to 20 minutes by 2020
- Features a 140 kWh battery pack, which will be available for purchase separately in 2019
- Mass production set to begin in 2019
Cummins have also revealed the reason behind the name for their HGV cab. It’s been affectionately named AEOS, after one of the 4 wings horses that pulled the Greek god Helios across the sky in Greek mythology. With Cummins promising full-scale manufacture by January 2019, the reality of electric HGV’s are now only 18 months away.
So what do you think? Are electric HGV’s sustainable at this sort of level, or is there a still work to be done to refine them and increase their range before they can be usable by commercial haulage organisations? At CPC Training we couldn’t be more excited by these announcements and will be keeping an eagle eye out for the full announcement of the Tesla model for comparison. If you would like to talk electric HGV’s, just get in touch with us today.
