Trucks Clips: April 30, 2024

 

 

House

 

Pete To The Hill — “Buttigieg will defend his agency’s fiscal 2025 budget request before the House Appropriations THUD Subcommittee at 10 a.m.” [Politico, 4/30/24 (=)]

 

Fleet Electrification On Tap — “A House Transportation Subcommittee hearing on fleet electrification efforts will hear from stakeholders on how electrification is going and what problems are popping up. Nick Nigro, the founder of Atlas Public Policy, will talk about the importance of electrifying commercial trucks to lower greenhouse gas emissions and how their prevalence is rapidly growing: from 1,215 zero-emission trucks deployed in the U.S. in December 2021 and 17,500 by June 2023. Taki Darakos, the Vice President of Vehicle Maintenance and Fleet Service at PITT OHIO testifying on behalf of the American Trucking Associations, will discuss his organization’s sustainability goals and challenges presented by electrification that include costs, vehicle range, durability, and charging infrastructure.” [Politico, 4/30/24 (=)]

 

 

 

EPA Launches Nearly $1B In Grants To Replace Polluting Heavy-Duty Vehicular Polluters — “With the launch of a nearly $1 billion Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently pushed forward with a plan to replace polluting heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission vehicles. The program will advance eligible Class 6 and 7 no emission vehicles and fund zero-emission vehicle fueling infrastructure and workforce development and training efforts. Currently, more than 3 million Class 6 and 7 vehicles are in use across the country, by the EPA’s figures, from school buses to delivery trucks. ‘EPA’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program will slash climate and air pollution and enhance the country’s infrastructure by funding the deployment of zero-emissions vehicles and installation of supporting infrastructure,’ EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. ‘The program’s historic investment in zero-emission vehicles will secure our nation’s position as a global leader in clean technologies that address the impacts of climate change.’” [Daily Energy Insider, 4/29/24 (+)]

 

 

 

Geely

 

Volvo Trucks North America To Fuel All New Trucks With HVO At New River Valley Plant — “Volvo Trucks North America has announced an advancement in its sustainability efforts by fueling newly assembled trucks with hydrotreated vegetable oil at the Volvo Trucks New River Valley Assembly Operations in Dublin, Virginia. All Volvo trucks for the North American market are produced at the NRV plant, including the all-new Volvo VNL that will begin production later this summer. This initiative is part of Volvo Trucks’ strategy to decarbonize the industry through a three-pillar approach: enhancing internal combustion engine efficiency and drop-in renewable fuels to make the largest immediate emissions reductions while continuing to scale the Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric and developing hydrogen fuel cell trucks.” [FleetOwner, 4/30/24 (=)]

 

Mercedes-Benz Group AG

 

RIZON Class 4 And 5 Electric MD Trucks Arrive In Canada — “Daimler’s new, all-electric truck brand made its Canadian debut this week with the official market launch of its battery electric class 4 and 5 medium duty work trucks. After making its North American debut at the 2023 ACT Expo in Anaheim, California, Daimler Truck’s RIZON brand has continued on a steady march towards production with initial preorders set to open this June. But it won’t just be Americans who can order a new RIZON electric box truck – Canadians will be able to add them to their fleets at the same time. ‘Canada is very advanced regarding green energy and infrastructure and is a natural next step for RIZON’s second market,’ explains Andreas Deuschle, the Global Head of RIZON. ‘We are very happy to bring our zero-emission solution to Canadian customers. They are proven OEM trucks with the latest technology from Daimler Truck.’” [CleanTechnica, 4/30/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Biden’s Plans To Electrify Trucking Face Harsh Reality In The Desert — “Lordsburg, New Mexico, has two truck stops, a small downtown and a population that’s been dwindling since the local smelter shut down in the 1990s. But if the Biden administration’s efforts to electrify the trucking industry come to fruition, the small town near the New Mexico-Arizona state line could be reborn as a critical way station for green transportation. A California-based startup, TeraWatt Infrastructure, recently got $63 million in federal funds to build two electric truck charging stations in New Mexico, including one in Lordsburg. Another company, MaxxEnergy, is planning a fueling station for hydrogen-powered trucks in Lordsburg, using electricity from a proposed solar farm. The projects are part of a scramble for both real estate and new sources of electricity along critical freight routes in the Southwest. The Biden administration is helping to bankroll the effort, using parts of $2.5 billion set aside for the construction of new charging stations. The money comes from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.” [Politico, 4/30/24 (=)]

 

What Goes Into Planning An Electric Truck Charging Station? — “Charging stations for electric heavy-duty trucks are cropping up across the U.S. Battery-electric Class 8 vehicles have a growing presence in freight and federal agencies have outlined EV charging infrastructure development for freight corridors over the next 15 years. However, as a report by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency states, long-haul BEVs are still just speculation for the future. While some U.S. pilot programs are testing out long-haul BEVs, most charging infrastructure today serves medium-duty urban delivery and heavy-duty drayage movement. Still, fleet leaders looking into the future can familiarize themselves with the processes behind charging infrastructure. Among those processes, planning is the first step.” [FleetOwner, 4/29/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Massachusetts

 

Boston-Area Transit Authority Orders 80 Electric Buses From New Flyer — “The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has awarded NFI Group subsidiary New Flyer of America Inc. a contract for up to 460 next-generation Xcelsior CHARGE NG 40-foot battery electric transit buses (BEBs). This contract includes a firm order for 80 vehicles, including 48 buses with New Flyer’s standard two-door configuration and 32 buses with an additional streetside door for dual-side boarding, plus options for another 380 buses. The purchase will be supported by funds awarded through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No Emission (Low-No) grant program. This contract was added to New Flyer’s backlog in fourth quarter 2023. A new three-door design option for 40-foot buses is one of New Flyer’s latest technical advancements, ensuring faster, more flexible platform boarding and enhanced passenger experience.” [NGT News, 4/29/24 (+)]

 

Minnesota

 

Metro Transit Expanding Fleet Of Electric Buses In 'Crucial' Step Toward Environmental Goal — “A cleaner and quieter ride is coming for some Metro Transit riders as the agency will buy 20 new electric buses and put them in service on local routes by 2026. The acquisitions mark the agency’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and align with Metro Transit’s Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan, which calls for the agency to deploy buses powered with alternatives to diesel fuel. ‘It’s a crucial tool to reach our climate change goals,’ said Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras. ‘Encouraging people to ride transit rather than using their own vehicles can reduce greenhouse gases.’” [Star Tribune, 4/29/24 (+)]

 

Washington, D.C.

 

Costs Threaten Bus Fleet Electrification At Capital Region Schools — “Faced with a state-mandated deadline to electrify its bus fleet by 2035, Shenendehowa Central School District officials are looking at the possibility of constructing a substation to power the vehicles with a price tag of upwards of $30 million. The substation project, which is still under discussion, is only part of what school officials say will be a costly endeavor to replace the district’s 217 gas-powered buses with an electric fleet and install charging stations needed to power the vehicles. The Shenendehowa district is one of the largest in the Capital Region, busing thousands of students a day across a large swath of southern Saratoga County. ‘You can throw all the money you want at it, but until you have the requisite electrical power coming into your campus bus parking area — whatever you want to call it — you can’t move forward,’ said Al Karam, Shenendehowa’s director of transportation.” [Government Technology, 4/29/24 (-)]

 

 

 

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