Heavy duty vehicles emit relatively larger amounts of carbon-dioxide pollution, especially if they are diesel-powered. Their bulk, when loaded, stretches the challenge of conquering power-to-weight ratios for electrification. Today, we turn to some of the reasons why traction batteries for heavy duty vehicles are still relatively rare.
Factors Slowing Introduction of Heavy Vehicle Traction Batteries
We Need Larger More Powerful Batteries
It takes more energy to move heavy vehicles, as we discover when we attempt to push-start one. Therefore, they need more cells in their batteries. Every additional battery cell marginally increases the weight of an electric vehicle, and therefore the payload it needs to move.
More Stored Energy Affects The Thermal Risk
All batteries emit some heat while charging and discharging, although this should be within manageable levels with battery management systems. Recharging a larger battery requires more energy. The business imperative demands high-capacity fast charging, although this increases thermal risk.
Current Lack of Remote Charging Stations
Heavy goods vehicles often travel long distances to deliver goods to remote customers. The possibility of their batteries running flat, far away from their base, is not a risk any well-run business can tolerate. The current lack of remote fast-charging stations compounds this situation.
Replacing Traction Batteries For Heavy Duty Vehicles
Traction batteries have a limited lifespan, compared to diesel engines which may seem to go on for ever. Replacing commercial electric vehicle batteries is expensive, and may occur earlier because of frequent recharging. New innovations could assist with second lives, but these are still evolving.
The Battery Industry Has a Way to Catch Up
The broader battery industry clearly has a way to go, before traction batteries for heavy duty vehicles become a practical choice for many businesses. The gap extends beyond battery manufacturers, and includes the recharging and recycling industries too.
We agree with EV Mechanica that governments, manufacturers, and energy providers must work together to close this gap. More research is urgently needed, before we can unlock the full potential of heavy duty electric vehicles.
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