Biden Told To Spend Big On Charging Infrastructure For Trucks

Charging infrastructure, as we well know, is one of the biggest hangups for many EV buyers. It’s also a huge issue for commercial use of electric vehicles. In order to reap the emissions benefits found in EVs, especially post-battery manufacturing, the commercial sector must adapt to EVs just as the public sector has.

Tesla has signed a letter alongside other electric automakers and environmental groups, asking the Biden administration to invest in better charging infrastructure for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, like Tesla’s own electric semi. Note that this letter applies only to commercial vehicles, and not ones like the Tesla Cybertruck. The letter’s signatories want 10% of the money allocated towards vehicle charging by Biden’s infrastructure bill to go to infrastructure for medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

The intent behind the letter is made clear by some statistics on the emissions of gas-powered commercial vehicles: “heavy-duty vehicles make up only ten percent of all vehicles on roads in the United States, [yet] they contribute 45 percent of the transportation sector’s nitrogen oxide pollution, 57percent of its fine particulate: matter pollution, and 28 percent of its global warming emissions.”

By electrifying a small percentage of vehicles, a huge dent in vehicle emissions can be made. It goes on to state that electrifying many of these commercial vehicles is relatively economical, but charging is the barrier. Other OEMs like Mercedes-Benz have begun to electrify their commercial vehicles, but charging stations have hindered more widespread adoption.

The letter’s request is simple. Build chargers along “designated alternative fueling corridors and within communities.” One of the more logical approaches to this could include electrifying truck stops across America. Electrify America is already working on something similar with gas stations, and it’s not a huge leap to suggest the logic could apply to truck stops as well.

Moreover, truck stops have the voltage necessary to run larger, higher-powered chargers needed for commercial applications. These stops are hubs of infrastructure, and electrifying them seems a good place to start. However, the letter must first be acted on by the current administration.