How will EV regulations affect truck drivers?
The Big Weekend Show panelists will explain the Biden administration’s electric vehicle policy, which will affect heavy-duty trucks starting with the 2027 model year.
U.S. truck drivers are sounding the alarm over recent environmental regulations put together by the Biden administration aimed at pushing the heavy-duty vehicle sector toward full electrification.
Truck drivers have expressed concerns that the technology for electric heavy vehicles is not advanced enough to replace the country’s existing diesel engine vehicles, and that vehicle battery issues such as reduced performance in cold regions and short range have been raised. mentioned limitations. They also warned that the lack of high-power charging infrastructure and grid upgrades needed to fuel vehicles will cause further problems.
“I’m an owner-operator. I’ve been in this business for 30 years,” Wisconsin-based truck driver Mike Nichols said in an interview with FOX News Digital. “Even if they subsidized the cost of an electric car 100%, I would still say no because I would go bankrupt. That’s how useless they are. If they gave me one of these things Even if you gave it to me, I still wouldn’t accept it.
“EV trucks don’t do as much work. They’re heavy, so they can’t carry as much. They don’t go very far. They take a long time to charge,” Nichols added, saying he wouldn’t be able to do it. . You can’t run a business if you’re forced to use electric vehicles.
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The Biden administration previously estimated that the regulation could result in electrification of 50% of vocational trucks, 35% of short-haul tractor-trailers, and 25% of long-haul tractor-trailers produced in 2032. Was. (Getty Images)
“That means we’re going to need more trucks on the road, which is exactly the opposite of what we want if we’re actually interested in improving society.”
The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday finalized regulations that apply to 2026-2027 model year vehicles. This regulation will gradually tighten through his 2032 model year and will affect short-haul and long-haul tractor-trailer trucks, as well as vocational trucks such as delivery vehicles and schools. and public transport busesgarbage trucks, concrete trucks, fire trucks, etc.
EPA previously estimated that the standard could result in electrification of 50% of vocational trucks, 35% of short-haul tractor-trailers, and 25% of long-haul tractor-trailers produced in 2032. was.
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The average diesel-powered semi-truck typically has a range of 1,500 to 2,000 miles, depending on mileage and tank size, but Tesla’s top-of-the-line electric semi truck has a range of 500 miles . And most other electric models have a range of less than 330 miles, according to data compiled by Ptoremus Consulting Group.
Additionally, data shows that electric trucks can take up to three hours to fully charge, while diesel truck tanks typically fill up within 20 minutes.
At the same time, despite their lower efficiency, the average electric truck typically costs about $300,000, while traditional diesel models cost on average half that, according to the International Clean Transportation Council.
According to the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, which represents heavy vehicle manufacturers around the world, less than 1% of new vehicle sales in the United States are zero-emission trucks. (Graham Hughes/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Nichols said a further issue with electrifying heavy vehicles is the impact on trucks, which need to perform power take-off when the vehicle is stationary, but the engine is not connected to hydraulic systems, pumps, engines, etc. He pointed out that it was activated to activate the function. Blower. He could not explain how the battery-powered trucks would perform these tasks.
The American Trucking Associations estimates that trucks will transport a whopping 11.5 billion tons of cargo in 2022. This represents approximately 72% of the total tonnage shipped in the United States.
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However, according to the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, which represents heavy vehicle manufacturers around the world, less than 1% of new trucks sold in the United States are zero-emission trucks. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the United States needs 28 million charging ports by 2030 to meet its electrification goals, but there are currently only 160,000 such ports.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan said the agency’s “strong and durable vehicle standards meet the urgency of the climate crisis by significantly reducing emissions from the transportation sector.” Stated. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Lewie Pugh, who drove the truck, said, “The current administration has no knowledge of the regulations for trucking for truckers and small businesses, or what truckers have to go through.” “They keep publishing it without even trying to find out. This is really frustrating.” He has been driving for 25 years and is executive vice president of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), he said in an interview.
“Truckers want clean air and clean water, but there are certain ways to make that happen. We’re passing mandatory laws on technology that wasn’t even invented, but the cost No one knows how much it will be.”
Pew expressed concern that the U.S. power grid is unprepared to handle the increased levels of power demand caused by frequent truck connections. A December 2022 study by the National Transportation Research Institute found that fully electrifying the U.S. transportation sector would require a 40% increase in generation and transmission capacity compared to the current electric grid.
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In addition to private truck drivers and OOIDA, industry groups such as the American Trucking Associations and the American Bus Association opposed the EPA’s regulations, calling them “burdensome, costly, and fraught with long-term problems.” characterized as.
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In response to the criticism it received, EPA pointed to its original explanation of the regulation. The agency told Fox News Digital that it will monitor implementation of the regulations over the next few years to determine whether potential adjustments to the program are warranted.
“This rule will provide significant public health benefits while ensuring vehicle owners and operators have the flexibility to choose the vehicle technology that best fits their operations,” the EPA said in a statement. .
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
