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PACCAR developing next generation of electric trucks
SKAGIT
PACCAR developing next generation of electric trucks
The electric trucking revolution is here, and Skagit County has a front row seat.
PACCAR, a global leader in medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturing, is developing a new lineup of all-electric trucks. The PACCAR Technical Center, an EDASC Signature Investor located in Mount Vernon, is leading research and development of zero emissions electric trucks thanks in part to a $33 million matching grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s SuperTruck 3 program.
The project aims to solve two of electrification’s biggest quandaries, said PACCAR Advanced Technology Manager Dr. Maarten Meijer: cost and range.
“Those are the key challenges for large-scale adoption of zero emission vehicles,” Meijer said. “The range of a long-haul diesel truck is the benchmark, and the total cost of ownership of having an all-electric fleet needs to be competitive without long term federal and state incentives.”
By the end of the 5-year project, PACCAR plans to demonstrate electric trucks with increased performance and significantly reduced cost of ownership, that are ready for large scale production. The program also involves developing and building charging infrastructures.
And, as the prime recipient of the U.S. Department of Energy grant, many of these development activities will take place in Skagit County.
“The PACCAR Technical Center will work closely on this project with the PACCAR truck divisions, Kenworth and Peterbilt and our external partners,” said Dr. Philip Stephenson, General
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Manager. “All program aspects will be supported by the Technical Center.”
PACCAR’s local roots date back to 1982 when the Technical Center opened about an hour north of the company’s Bellevue headquarters. The facility leads PACCAR’s development and testing, with rigorous testing facilities, a 1.6-mile banked oval test track, and a durability test track simulating rugged driving conditions.
Globally, PACCAR manufactures light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks under the brand names of Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF. Its trucks are deployed all over the world, and so are its facilities with locations in England, The Netherlands, Mexico and Australia, to name a few.
In Skagit County, it’s common to see PACCAR Technical Center trucks, often sporting camouflaged wraps as the trucks are still under development, hauling huge concrete blocks up and down Interstate 5 and on other roads for testing.
The SuperTruck 3 program is the third such emissions reduction project. The U.S. Department of Energy launched the SuperTruck 1 initiative in 2009 to significantly reduce fuel consumption. SuperTruck 2 went a step further, seeking to push the limits of diesel engine and overall powertrain efficiency, to further improve vehicle and trailer aerodynamics, and to reduce weight.
For SuperTruck 2, PACCAR Technical Center led development of a hybrid powertrain using a diesel engine and an electric motor.
“That program continues and is in the final phase,” said Meijer. “It will push the limits of what can be achieved with diesel engine efficiency, while minimizing the weight of the vehicle which means less fuel is used to deliver the same payload.”
PACCAR received the most funding of all recipients for its SuperTruck 3 program, a testament to its current and past success. SuperTruck 3 development is planned to commence in the second quarter of 2022.
The new project, along with developing its next-generation electric trucks, also focuses on the deployment of its latest generation of all-electric vehicles and the development and construction of new charging infrastructure. Its charging stations will be optimized in terms of fast charging and clean power generation.
“The charging infrastructure could have the flexibility to either be connected to an existing grid or be isolated and generate and store clean energy independently, a concept referred to as a micro grid,” Meijer said.
The current range of an electric truck is up to 200 miles. PACCAR aims to double that, expanding the applications for electric vehicles while providing its customers with low cost and increased uptime solutions.
As part of the electric trucking revolution, automation will play an important role in SuperTruck 3, focusing on driver safety support systems such as lane assist, lane departure warning systems, and automatic braking and steering specifically developed for electric vehicles.
“It won’t replace the driver, but it’ll increase safety and comfort,” Meijer said.
