Is the Grid Ready for Fleets of Electric Trucks?

Is the Grid Ready for Fleets of Electric Trucks?

In this excellent article by Casey Crownhart, you can readily understand the need for electrification of the trucking industry. While only 10% of all motor vehicles are trucks and buses, they produce half of the carbon dioxide emissions and more than 70% of the particulate pollution.

It is vital that we curb this, but we need to understand if our infrastructure can handle the swing to electric commercial vehicles.

Can the Grid Accommodate the Charging?

Unlike electric cars, commercial trucks and buses have much larger power requirements. Would fleets of electric trucks outstrip a substation’s capacity and cause outages?

In this article, Crownhart discusses the modeling that was done using real-world fleet data. The results were an amazing 80-90% of the substations are capable of handling this load without upgrades.

California is Leading the Charge

California passed regulation in June of 2020 requiring heavy duty trucks sold by 2035 to be zero-emission. Just a month later, 15 states signed similar rules requiring trucks to be zero-emission by 2050. Clearly, we are headed in this direction and any infrastructure changes that need to be made to keep up with demand, will be dealt with along the way.

Read Crownhart’s complete article here … https://bit.ly/3wE8m3A

Are You Preparing for Electric Transportation?

If you need some planning assistance, call C&M Motors.  We are a locally owned and operated family business serving the greater San Diego area since 1982. With 2 locations and multiple options for electric trucks, we will offer you professional choices and recommendations, in addition to a more personalized experience. Sales, service, rentals, maintenance, collision, fabrication, parts, and 24/7 emergency roadside assistance are all available at C&M Motors.

Contact us to learn more.

C&M Motors Inc

www.cmmotorsinc.com

(800) 736-3443

Overcoming Commercial Truck Fleet Challenges

Overcoming Commercial Truck Fleet Challenges

While most businesses focus on reducing costs and increasing profits, let’s take a little closer look at the challenges faced by business owners running a small fleet of commercial vehicles.

Reducing Costs

For those business owners, reducing costs can be tackled several ways. Costs can arise from rising fuel costs, fines due to lack of compliance with Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, and accidents. Fleet scheduling efficiencies which include right sizing your fleet to meet the demands of your clients is a way to avoid some of these costs.

Fuel Costs

Fuel cost began a fairly sharp rise in around 2004, where the average price of fuel was just over $1.50 per gallon. That climb topped in the summer of 2008 where fuel was over $4.10 per gallon. By the end of 2009, the fuel prices dropped back to just over $1.70 per gallon where they began yet another climb to nearly $4.00 per gallon again. In the past couple years, prices have fluctuated from $2 to $3 per gallon on average, nationwide, all formulations of retail gasoline and diesel.

Planning for those prices changes is a challenge and the costs vary depending upon the number of commercial trucks in your fleet. The good news is that powerful, electric technology is helping to minimize and/or eliminate the need for diesel powered trucks.

That’s why C&M Motors has partnered with SEA Electric to help you overcome the unpredictable costs of fuel. These exciting new electric trucks will deliver power and efficiency, and even help reduce maintenance costs. Overall, the cost of ownership is well worth the investment.

Accidents

Accidents involving your fleet drivers can be a huge expense to your business. These expenses come not just from the costs of truck repair, but also in loss of productivity, damage and worker comp claims, insurance increases, and potential lawsuits. Equipping your fleet with the latest safety equipment such as automatic braking, backup cameras, and telematics are a great way to reduce these risks.

Right Sizing and Maintaining Your Fleet Vehicles

Another way to keep costs in line is through good fleet management and having a fleet that keeps your committed deliveries on time without having too many idle vehicles. Another important aspect is vehicle maintenance. When your fleet is well-maintained, there are less unexpected failures and the need for extra trucks is minimized. Having a good partner for fleet maintenance can help you run a profitable operation. C&M Motors offers HinoCare, a planned maintenance program to help you stay on schedule and on budget.

Why C&M Motors

C&M Motors is a locally owned and operated family business serving the greater San Diego area since 1982. With 2 locations to serve you (National City and Vista), we offer a more personalized experience and customized services to meet your business needs. Sales, service, rentals, maintenance, collision, fabrication, parts, and 24/7 emergency roadside assistance are all available at C&M Motors.

Give us a call to learn more.

 

C&M Motors Inc

www.cmmotorsinc.com

(800) 736-3443

Why Electric Trucks are Better

Why Electric Trucks are Better

Electric trucks provide reduction in greenhouse gas emissions which is especially beneficial in an urban setting. In fact, electric trucks have been shown to cut greenhouse gas emissions by a third or more over diesel trucks.

Other Benefits Electric Trucks Offer

Less Noise.

While this seems obvious, why is this a benefit? Lack of noise means they can operate at times when a diesel truck cannot. This can provide a significant benefit to businesses operating in congested urban areas with evening noise restrictions.

Regenerative Braking

An electric truck has a highly efficient drivetrain and offers energy recovery during braking. When measured together, the regenerative braking and super-efficient drivetrain can lead to about five times higher efficiency for an electric truck.

Alternate Energy Sources

If you drive a diesel truck, there is only one way to fuel your truck. Diesel. If you invest in an electric truck, you have more options. You can charge your electric battery with standard plugin, paid-for electricity OR you can invest in solar for your company which would significantly drive down the cost of operations for your fleet.

Why SEA Electric and C&M Motors

SEA Electric was founded in Australia in 2012 and has been providing outstanding automotive technology for many years. In 2017, SEA Electric launched its first all-electric power-system that can be added to the truck chassis of your choice. These electric engines are the world’s most cost-effective solution for the commercial market. Zero emissions, super quiet, and a powerful, smooth ride.

C&M Motors is a locally owned and operated family business serving the greater San Diego area since 1982. With 2 locations to serve you (National City and Vista), we offer a more personalized experience and customized services to meet your business needs. Sales, service, rentals, maintenance, collision, fabrication, parts, and 24/7 emergency roadside assistance are all available at C&M Motors.

Give us a call to learn more.

 

C&M Motors Inc

www.cmmotorsinc.com

(800) 736-3443

The Benefits of Electric Trucks

The Benefits of Electric Trucks

Commercial truck fleets are beginning to embrace the benefits of electric trucks. While initial costs may be slightly higher, these vehicles generate significant savings in a very short period of time.

Reduced Fuel Costs

The most obvious benefit is the reduction in fuel costs. The cost to run an electric plug-in vehicle or even a hybrid is substantially lower than fueling a diesel engine. Larger businesses that choose to invest in solar can compound their savings by generating some of their electric power by placing panels on their roof.

In addition to going green and helping to reduce the carbon footprint, companies are embracing solar and transitioning to renewable forms of energy.

Reduced Maintenance Costs

The electric drivetrain is functionally simpler than the conventional drivetrain. The electric motor is the major moving part and does not require fluid replacements and other parts that tend to break down in a combustion engine. Even features like regenerative braking, reduce wear and tear on basic vehicle components bringing the maintenance costs down 50% or more for electric or hybrid trucks.

CARB compliance

The electric or hybrid truck also supports the California Hybrid and Zero-Emission truck Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). The Fiscal 2020-21 Funding Plan for Clean Transportation Incentives was approved on December 10, 2020. The plan allocates $25 million from the Air Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) to HVIP. Details for the Fiscal Year 2020-21 are still being finalized but the funding is approved. The best approach is to work with an HVIP approved dealer, like C&M Motors, to be sure your planned purchases meet the criteria for the voucher program.

Why C&M Motors

C&M Motors is a locally owned and operated family business serving the greater San Diego area since 1982. With 2 locations to serve you (National City and Vista), we offer a more personalized experience and customized services to meet your business needs. Sales, service, rentals, maintenance, collision, fabrication, parts, and 24/7 emergency roadside assistance are all available at C&M Motors.

Let us help you get started or increase your electric footprint. Give us a call to learn more.

 

C&M Motors Inc

www.cmmotorsinc.com

(800) 736-3443

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