WaPo story on electric trucks and trucker reactions

[solarbird]

Hmm, EVs starting to win over truckers. That’s definitely good. From the Washington Post:

For truckers driving EVs, there’s no going back
By Shannon Osaka – January 18, 2024

…

[T]he drivers operating them say they love driving electric. Marty Boots, a 66-year-old driver for Schneider in South El Monte, Calif., appreciates the lightness and the smoothness of his Freightliner eCascadia semi-truck. “Diesel was like a college wrestler,” he said. “And the electric is like a ballet dancer.”


Boots, who also trains other drivers on how to optimize the battery in the electric truck, said some drivers were hesitant when first trying out the technology. But once they try it, he said, most are sold. “You get back into diesel and it’s like, ‘What’s wrong with this thing?’” he said. “Why is it making so much noise? Why is it so hard to steer?”

“Everyone who has had an EV has no aspirations to go back to diesel at this point,” said Khari Burton, who drives an electric Volvo VNR in the Los Angeles area for transport company IMC. “We talk about it and it’s all positivity. I really enjoy the smoothness … and just the quietness as well.”

Posted via Solarbird{y|z|yz}, Collected.

Comments

[canyonwalker]

That's interesting, and good to see. Just this week I heard a piece on the radio interviewing a commercial driver in the UK who claimed "9 out of 10 of us" think EVs are completely unsuitable. "And the other 1 in 10 keeps his mouth shut because he knows we'll hit him," or words to that effect.

Clearly there's a cultural/political objection there in addition to some degree of practical objection. But it's the practical side that can win over— or continue not to win over— a lot of commercial drivers. For them vehicle ownership is chiefly a business decision. What's the cost to buy, what's the cost per mile to operate, what's the maintenance cost per year or per 100k, etc. Lower operating costs seem like the area where EV trucks could really win... once suitable recharging infrastructure is built out.

[peristaltor]

Yup, yup, yup. I started making the switch in '99.

In case you've missed it, KCM have all but switched from diesel propulsion to electric traction (hybrid diesel, all-electric and trolleys on wires). Furthermore, most of the non-revenue vehicles (not buses) are getting battery electric.

So the few times I get in someone's gasser or diesel car, I have this disquieting moment of "What's wrong with this thing?!"

[sistawendy]

Decarbonizing supply chains will be a very, very good thing.