Minnesota Report Cautions against Rush to EV Transition

March 01, 2024

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by Noël Fletcher (Transport Topics) Trucking Fleets Advised to Go Slow in EV Equipment Investments -- State lawmakers rushing to jump on the battery-electric vehicle bandwagon for longhaul and shorthaul regional trucks will create a web of interconnected operational roadblocks and impeded efficient delivery of goods, and cause higher consumer costs, according to a new report.

“If we don’t get this right and force vehicle electrification over other promising options, it will impact the cost and availability of food, clothing, medicine, appliances, machine parts and thousands of other goods,” said John Hausladen, Minnesota Trucking Association president. “The trucking industry has proven that we can achieve both meaningful emission reductions and a stable supply chain if we follow a thoughtful, fuel-neutral developmental process.”

A new report by MTA's Alternative Fuels Task Force analyzed alternative fuel types and identified key barriers to be overcome for both local and over-the-road trucking fleets to replace diesel engine trucks with battery-electric models. Meeting last year from June through November, the task force also looked at hydrogen fuel cell trucks in developing its fact-finding report.

“Government incentives and mandates rather than consumer demand are driving current interest in exploring alternative propulsion technologies (74% entirely or mostly government mandates vs. 26% consumer demand),” the report concluded.

Minnesota EV chart

There are numerous state and federal efforts to use regulatory powers to force local governments, businesses and people to use EVs. In addition, some government financial grants and tax breaks are being made available to motivate people and companies to ditch traditional gas and diesel vehicles for EVs.

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Hausladen described the development gap as enormous between EV cars and heavy-duty trucks, especially since the report noted the transition for 18-wheelers and other heavy-duty vehicles is “largely conceptual” — facing technology and infrastructure challenges that will require substantial government investments over many years.

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“The reality is that Class 7-8 trucks will be powered by internal combustion engines run on diesel or similar fuels for decades to come,” the MTA report concluded. “Government policies need to acknowledge and address this reality rather than mandate the use of a specific alternative propulsion source — such as electricity — to power heavy trucks.”

EV refueling time is another huge issue. A diesel truck can be fueled in 15 minutes and travel 1,200 miles vs. longhaul battery-electric trucks that need from five to eight hours to charge and only drive 150 to 330 miles before needing a recharge — if chargers are even available.

Heavy trucks are expected to need megawatt chargers.

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The high cost of EV heavy trucks was another key critical issue.

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Cold-weather battery loss is an important consideration in Minnesota and other states.

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“Hydrogen fuel cell technology and hybrid ‘range extender’ technologies (e.g. natural gas engine charging onboard batteries) show promise for longhaul trucking,” the report stated. READ MORE

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Minnesota Trucking Association Report Examines Challenges For Developing Long-Haul Electric Trucks (Minnesota Trucking Association)
Op-Ed: Minnesota's burdensome clean transportation standards drive up costs (The Center Square/Competitive Enterprise Institute)

Excerpt from Minnesota Trucking Association: In a comprehensive report released today (February 7, 2024), the Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA) states that the rush to transition long-haul and short-haul/regional trucking industry to electric batteries will create a myriad of operational challenges, impede efficient delivery of products and drive up costs for consumers.

The MTA established an Alternative Fuels Task Force to provide an analysis of options for all fuel types and the risks to consumers and businesses by pushing an all-electric fleet. MTA leaders hope this research will lead to meaningful policy and investments that will bolster the industry’s ongoing progress to reduce emissions while supporting trucking’s essential role in the nation’s economy through the transportation of goods and reinforcing supply chain connections.

“The trucking industry has proven that we can achieve both meaningful emission reductions and a stable supply chain if we follow a thoughtful, fuel-neutral developmental process,” said MTA President John Hausladen. “If we don’t get this right and force vehicle electrification over other promising options, it will impact the cost and availability of food, clothing, medicine, appliances, machine parts, and thousands of other goods.”

“The development gap between electric cars versus heavy-duty trucks is enormous, Hausladen said.” In fact, the report noted the transition for 18-wheelers and other heavy-duty vehicles is “largely conceptual,” and faces challenges with technology and infrastructure that will require substantial government investments over many years.

Other report findings about the limitations of pursuing an all-electric fleet include:

Refueling Time: Diesel fueling takes just 15 minutes, allowing a truck to travel approximately 1,200 miles before needing to refuel, while long-haul battery-electric trucks require 5-8 hours to charge and can cover 150-330 miles, assuming chargers are available.

Infrastructure Challenges: Charging stations for heavy-duty trucks face challenges in both availability and effectiveness, as they need to be widespread and designed to meet the unique power demands of these vehicles.

Cost Disparity: A new, clean-diesel long-haul tractor typically costs between $180,000 to $200,000, while a comparable battery-electric tractor can cost upwards of $480,000.

Battery Loss in Cold Weather: Battery electric trucks in cold weather states such as Minnesota are specifically challenged due to the 30-40% reduction in performance.

The MTA report includes information to serve as a valuable resource for trucking fleets and advises them to follow a “go slow” approach regarding equipment investments. The report determined that the development of heavy-duty electric trucks, necessary infrastructure and pricing are not practical for near or mid-term adoption for the long-haul sector.

The Alternative Fuels Task Force conducted its research and analysis over a six-month period, which included interviews with legislators, regulators, equipment manufacturers, truck dealers/repair facilities, national trucking and energy efficiency associations, and electric utilities.

The MTA task force recommends pursuing a wider range of alternative fuel options to help further reduce fossil fuel emissions, highlighting the potential of hydrogen fuel cell and hybrid technologies, among other options.

To access a summary infographic and the complete report, please visit www.mntrucking.org/trucking-resources and click on “Alternative Fuels Report & Infographic.”

READ MORE

Excerpt from The Center Square/Competitive Enterprise Institute: Minnesota legislators may try to phase out traditional motor fuels and the vehicles that run on them. The state is already imposing strict tailpipe standards and an electric vehicle sales mandate that go into effect for model year 2025 cars. Next, lawmakers are considering another step towards a California-style ban on sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles: a Clean Transportation Standard (CTS) that is a more aggressive version of California’s low carbon fuel standard program. It’s a terrible idea with dire consequences for Minnesota families.

The carbon program is required by a law passed in May 2023 directing four state agencies to convene a CTS Work Group to study options for reducing carbon intensity of transportation fuels by as much as “100 percent” below 2018 levels by 2050. Carbon intensity of fuel is how much carbon dioxide is emitted for each unit of energy in different types of fuel, like gasoline, diesel, or ethanol.

The Work Group submitted its report to the legislature in February 2024. Acknowledging that “the carbon intensity targets included in the law may be very difficult to achieve given what we know today about transportation fuel markets and clean fuel technologies,” the Work Group recommend changing the 100-percent 2050 “target” to a “goal” and re-evaluating it at a later program review period.

However, what the legislature needs to hear is that suppressing Minnesota’s access to traditional fuels will impose big new costs on anyone doing business in the state while producing no detectable climate-related benefits. READ MORE