Follow PSR’s team of analysts as they track the rapidly expanding global battery electric power market, including, battery technology, transportation, eMobility, mergers and acquisitions and more.
Read about the 240 ton electric mining truck that can charge in 30 minutes in the February 2023 issue of Alternative Power Report produced by PSR’s Guy Youngs. The same issue contains articles about Volvo’s electric concrete mixer truck and its wheel loader. Europe’s charging corridor will make driving easier for MHVs. PSR
Best known for its world-class transport solutions, Volvo unveiled its first commercial electric truck –the Volvo FL Electric – in 2019, this was followed by the Volvo VNR Electric in 2020. Volvo introduced three 44-ton electric trucks this past September, some of the heaviest in its line up, bringing its portfolio to six commercial EV trucks, designed to cover everything from city distribution and handling to construction transport and regional hauling.
For a long while, it looked as if hydrogen fuel cells would be the technology of choice for emissions-free road transport. However, truck manufacturers and freight forwarders recently turned their attention to battery-electric vehicles.
For logistics companies, the shift to zero emissions will be difficult. While it only takes a few minutes to top up the tank of a truck with diesel, it takes hours to fully charge the battery of an EV, which presents a real challenge for logistics businesses with zero-emission aspirations.
A 240-ton mining haul truck is being fitted with a 1.4 megawatt-hour (MWh) prototype battery system that global green energy company Fortescue has developed with equipment maker Liebherr.
UK-based engineering company WAE Technologies, (acquired by Fortescue in March 2022), completed and delivered the battery system to Fortescue’s workshop in Perth, Australia. The battery will be assembled and installed in the mining haul truck before it’s transported to the Pilbara in Western Australia for onsite testing this year.
The battery system marks several firsts for an electric mining haul truck battery: In addition to having energy storage of 1.4 MWh, it also has the ability to fast-charge in 30 minutes, and it can regenerate power as it drives downhill.
PSR Analysis: This is a good view of the potential for all mining trucks, but it should be noted that a lot of these huge mining trucks are diesel-electric to start with, (a diesel generator powering electric drives), so this is a matter of replacing the generator with the battery pack. They also can recharge on the way down, so the battery size can be relatively smaller. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Leadat Power Systems Research
The global motorcycle market is growing at a healthy CAGR of 5.48%, according to Power Systems Research. Revenue for 2021 was approximately $107.1 Billion and projected to be $146.6 Billion by 2030.
Growth during this period is primarily due to increasing demand from China, India, and ASEAN countries. In addition, growth in traditional markets such as Europe and North America is also anticipated.
The growth of drivers for the Motorcycle industry come from the requirement for cost-effective private transportation among people around the world.
According to John O’Leary President and CEO of DTNA, charging infrastructure is the greatest barrier to adoption for battery electric heavy trucks. Speaking to journalists in Las Vegas, he said customers are happy with the electric vehicles they have received but they are unable to expand their fleets with additional electric vehicles primarily due to the lack of charging infrastructure.
“Overwhelmingly, infrastructure is slowing us down in terms of EV deployment,” said Daimler Truck North America President and CEO John O’Leary. “Site prep, permitting, and construction delays all contribute to deployment times being measured in years, not weeks or months.”
“There’s a lot of will in the regulatory and political arenas to make that happen, but when you start talking about moving large megawatt lines of electricity around and building new substations, it just takes time,” he said.
Hitech Electric to produce 100% electric LCVs by March, with sales plans of 1,000 vehicles per year. In partnership with Positivo Tecnologia, (and its corporate venture capital (CVC) program) the assembly line will start with 50 units per month and possibly expand to 100 in the short term. The plant will be located in Campo Largo, Parana.
The vehicles will have a powertrain and battery produced by WEG, the Brazilian Electric equipment manufacturer. The batteries will feature non-flammable lithium iron phosphate. Product lineup includes a last mile utility vehicle and a 1.2-ton light truck.
Pilot cities must embrace EVs in official vehicles, public transport, taxis, sanitation, postal express, urban logistics, airport vehicles, aiming to achieve 80% NEV proportion by 2025. A balanced and efficient charging infrastructure must be established, with public charging piles proportional to NEV promotion, and 10% charging facilities in expressway service areas.
Innovation in tech, green energy supply, and new information/communication networks must be applied to efficiently integrate NEVs with power grids and other fields. Innovations such as intelligent charging, high-power charging, rapid power change have been expanded, and vehicle-network integration verified.
As part of its 2023 Budget, the government has reiterated its focus on capital expenditures, the vehicle scrappage policy, and a reduction in customs duty for electric vehicle components that is designed to stimulate new vehicle sales. A reduction in customs duties and a plan to replace older, polluting vehicles will boost the adoption of green mobility.
“The increase in capex on infrastructure and the emphasis on green growth will help the mobility sector,” said Sudarshan Venu, MD, TVS Motor Company. “This budget gives something to everyone, from rural India and start-up India, to middle-class India and digital India. It is about inclusive growth and building on the recovery we are seeing after the pandemic. It strikes a fine balance between growth and fiscal prudence.”
The January 2023 Alternative Power Report produced by PSR’s Guy Youngs and other analysts at Power Systems Research includes several articles on hydrogen power. New applications of hydrogen power from construction to marine are discussed in this issue. Plans by OEMs Audi and BMW for new EV cars also are discussed. PSR