Trucking companies turn to electric vehicles for sustainability and savings
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) — The surge in popularity for electric vehicles is partly fueled by the roller coaster price of gas. Now trucking companies are following suit as a long-term option.
CBS 11 News spoke with HOLT Truck Centers in Irving which invested in several EV Trucks from the company Nikola.
"The turning radius is very short, the maneuverability is excellent," said Cary Gniffke, E.V. Manager for HOLT Truck Centers.
The company is the first in Texas to use Nikola battery-powered trucks which they purchased in February. The trucks have traveled over 10,000 miles so far.
Gniffke says it's about sustainability, "Gives us the ability to do something that we love and it's the benefit to the Texas people in general and that provides a transportation solution that has zero emissions."
It's also cost-effective. Gniffke points out it costs about $30 to $50 for a full charge, compared to $250 to $300 for a diesel fill up.
"That savings becomes pretty significant especially if you're running a fleet of say five to ten of these trucks," added Gniffke.
Another benefit? Lower operational costs.
"You don't have oil changes with this, you don't even have to do overhauls. You don't have to do some of the things you normally would on servicing because this is electric," said Gniffke.
The trucks aren't made for long distances, so they are mostly used for local or regional destinations as they have to get recharged at the end of the day.
"Typically it's things out of the port, regional and it's a set route," added Gniffke.
The current market is geared for cleaner trucking, said Gniffke, so his company is trying to stay ahead of the curve. "We're starting to look at companies that are saying 'hey, we are mandating or we're going to initiate a mandate that by 2025, 50 to 75% of our products that are delivered to our warehouses come in a zero emissions truck."
Gniffke believes more E.V. trucks will be in rotation down the road, but diesel-powered semis will likely stick around for the long-haul.
"Do I see it as a total solution? No, because there's some applications where it's not a fit," said Gniffke.
To learn more about grants through the state on E.V. vehicles or want to know more information, click here.
