Search Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office has funded hundreds of projects across the country that advance affordable, domestic transportation fuels and technologies.

or

Project Initiative/Award Awardee Status Date
Medium-Duty Electric Truck (eTruck): Pilot Electrified Fleets in Urban and Regional Applications 2020 Innovative Vehicle Technologies Projects University of Texas at Austin In progress Oct 2020

States impacted:

  • Tennessee
  • Texas

Medium-Duty Electric Truck (eTruck): Pilot Electrified Fleets in Urban and Regional Applications

Compared to conventional trucks, battery-electric trucks (eTrucks) have potential advantages in reducing fuel and maintenance costs as well as harmful and greenhouse gas emissions. The medium-duty (MD) truck market is a likely candidate for a significant and near-term adoption of eTrucks in daily, return-to-base, urban and regional trucking applications of fewer than 100 miles per day. However, many trucking fleets have very limited or no exposure to the new eTruck technology. The lack of eTruck experience and the concerns about eTrucks including range limits, charging infrastructure availability, maintenance, and cost, are considered the main barriers for the broader adoption by trucking fleets of MD eTrucks. The objective of this project is to demonstrate a MD eTruck technology fleet of three eTruck vehicles and supporting infrastructure in fleets that have little or no experience with these technologies. The MD eTruck demonstration testbed is used to evaluate the performance of MD electric trucks in various applications by a diverse group of trucking fleets. The project may help potential fleets gain necessary eTruck knowledge and experience to make informed decisions about MD eTruck adoption. The project collects eTruck fleet operational and use data to analyze the challenges and needs associated with the use of MD eTrucks in fleets across a broad range of geographical locations.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2021 Annual Report or Annual Merit Review presentation.

Learn more about the 2020 Innovative Vehicle Technologies Projects.

$1,000,000 award from DOE

$1,000,000 matching funds (cost share)

Partners

  • East Tennessee Clean Fuels
  • Lone Star Clean Fuels Alliance (Central Texas)
  • Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels
  • Tennessee Trucking Association
  • Seven States
  • Phoenix Motorcars
  • Tennessee Tech University
  • Smart Charge America
  • SEA Electric
  • Lightning Systems