Now that passenger cars have been electrified for no return, it’s time to ask the hard question – when will trucks follow?
I want to start this article about the heavy with three quotes that might make you think: “Change is slow until it happens”, “The future is already here, but it is unevenly distributed around the world” and “In the last decade we have seen Tesla go from a car for the very rich to a car for everyone on every corner”.
Change is slow
For a very long time, not a single electric heavy truck was registered in Latvia. We have had experience with trams and trolleybuses for a long time, and for several years also with electric buses, but we didn’t have a truck. At the beginning of last year, Scania proudly presented the first electric cargo truck in the Baltics, which will deliver beer to Estonia on a daily basis. This year, Scania and Volvo Trucks also registered the first trucks in Latvia.
Volvo Trucks electric vehicles (manufacturer’s photo)
Currently, both Latvian e-carriers serve as demo units for companies to experience firsthand. Although both of these are intended for smaller daily routes, promising about 300 km on a single charge, it is fully sufficient to serve the delivery routes of Riga and Pieriga stores.
The future is already here
Two weeks ago, Lidl invited me to ask them all the questions I could think of before they do their own week-long test with the small porter. To my delight, they did not hesitate to answer my questions honestly – their biggest concerns were about winter performance. After the winter test, it is likely that Lidl will be the first in Latvia to make deliveries with e-smagos.
They could not yet say when it will be, but the heavy ones who drive the Riga and Pieriga route cover about 100km a day. This is not even a challenging scenario for existing e-heavy vehicles capable of 250km on a single charge. Of course, we still need to check what the consumption is in winter. pic.twitter.com/VFZYG9uaJZ
— 🇺🇦 Kārlis Mendziņš ♻️🔋🍃⚡☀️🌎 (@Kamons) September 26, 2023
Such tests are very important because they mean that companies are already ready for the transition. They just need a little push. Is it a winter performance test? Any financial support from the state? However, one thing is clear – do not run away from it.
Tesla moment
While Latvia is still thinking, other places are already doing. DPD started transporting e-trucks a long time ago. Meanwhile, DPD light freighters can also be seen moving through the streets of Riga. However, all attention is, of course, focused on the Tesla Semi, the first units of which have recently been delivered to Pepsi. The first results are fantastic, proving that you can do more with cargo 1700 km in one day.
Just like with passenger cars, it’s not all about Tesla when it comes to impressive performance. In early October, Designwerks delivered the first trucks with a 1000 kWh battery, which would allow one charge to cover almost 600 km. If the average speed is 85 km/h, then it is about 7 hours of continuous driving, ie with the necessary break and loading/unloading at the beginning/end of the trip, it is a full working day.
When will the future be in Latvia?
Electric loaders are already here. Considering the already dismal trucking situation in the country that we are dominated by Euro 1-4 vehicles, they are unicorns. However, the example of Lidl shows that there is hope that at least the new trucks could lead us to a future where we are not woken up in the morning by a roaring garbage truck engine, where our goods are delivered in a more environmentally and human friendly way.
Demand is low at the moment, but trucks are in the same position in Europe as cars were 10 years ago – the supply is relatively small, the industry looks askance at it, but there is one huge difference. This time it is clear that it is the future. The question is “when” not “if”. If only because Volvo, Daimler and Traton have joined forces to create a similar network for the heavy ones as Ionity did for the light ones.
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2023-10-09 05:34:22
#eheavy #vehicles #Latvian #roads #Charged
