However, electric trucks are hardly new in the transport sector, the battery-operated vehicles were among the very first power-driven used in the automotive industry. Electric vehicles and heavy duty trucks truly never went away; they have undergone an amazing transformation over the past decade. And it seems that very soon in the future, they will come into the spotlight and start to become a viable option for fleets in the 21st century.
GPS Integration
Just in time (JIT) freight scheduling or notification, drivers’ logs and driver performance will be pushed to worldwide adoption by stringent CSA and HOS regulation enforcement. Predictive and diagnostic maintenance data will be available to current service providers who are linked with fleet networks.
Real-time Anything
Weather, routing efficiency, driver performance, tolls, traffic congestion, weights, fuel consumption and taxes will be done in actual time. This reporting facility will allow toll calculation depending on the time of day and the exact vehicle weight.
Better Vehicle Safety
The standard safety features that have been offered in cars and light trucks for years, now will be incorporated in more heavy duty trucks. Airbags and soy-based foam are examples of the sustainability aspect in newly designed heavy duty trucks.
Forward Lighting
As the variable focus designs are becoming popular, the ability to really offer improved forward lighting will increase. Modern solutions like bi-xenon designs assure infinitely variable intensity and direction.
Easy to Maintain – Automobiles with electric vehicle technology
Automobiles with electric vehicle technology has less moving parts than conventional petrol or diesel vehicles. There are relatively minimum servicing and no expensive starter motors, fuel injection systems, exhaust systems, radiators and many other parts. So, maintenance is easy.
Complete Lane Departure and Obstacle Detection
Many combinations of ultrasonic and visual, 360-degree collision avoidance and forward speed control devices are almost road ready. This will be improved further by the advanced connected-vehicle technology in heavy duty trucks.
Reduced Fuel Cost
By opting for an electric vehicle, you can forget about paying high for gas prices. Not only are electric vehicles less expensive than gasoline, but it also has a much more fixed price. You can further reduce the costs even by installing a rooftop solar installation to charge your electric vehicle. Due to the amazing flexibility of electricity generation, it is possible for you to completely remove fuel costs from your life.
Limitations of an electric truck in India
Lack of charging stations
Electric-powered vehicles need charging stations. The people traveling long distances need to have better access to dedicated power stations. Also recharging such vehicle batteries often takes about 3-4 hours which matches the efficiency of a gas refill nowhere as it takes only a few minutes to refuel. And also, you need to carry charging equipment along with you.
Vehicle batteries are one of the major reasons for not owning an electric vehicle. It indeed takes time to recharge, so such vehicles are not suitable when you want to reach the destination quickly. Packers and movers Ahmedabad notice that the majority of drivers on the roads drive to and from work, and carry out only short journeys. Long journeys could be difficult but can be done smoothly with sensible planning.
Short Driving Range and Speed
Electric vehicles have the range and speed limitations. Electric trucks and cars have this common problem which is a cause for concern and anxiety among the owners. Transporters and cargo distribution service providers require vehicles or electric truck in India that provide good range incorporating the ability to recharge or refuel anywhere quickly. This is still a key concern for electric truck owners. Most of these vehicles have a range of about 50-100 miles and thus, need to be recharged again, although it is expected to improve in the future.
Silence Can Be Dangerous
People when choosing the vehicle, noiseless cars remain in their priority list. But in the case of electric power vehicles, silence can be a bit disadvantage. It can lead to accidents as people like to hear the noise if they are coming from behind.
Battery Drains Quickly
Electric automobiles’ accessories such as radios, air conditioners, headlights, etc. use up electric power from batteries. This will drain it quickly and recharging them again takes time. Currently, there are only a few EV charging points across the countries. For truck operators and the transport companies offering transport services in Vadodara, this is a major concern. Additionally, it would take hours to recharge trucks with standard charging units whereas it only takes minutes to fill diesel/gas into the trucks of the same size.
They Are Expensive
Batteries that power these trucks are a costly affair. The high-quality and long-lasting lithium-ion batteries cost around thousands of dollars each. This makes these trucks expensive. Also, the battery life is only about 4-5 years which means you need to spend money to buy a new battery. Depending on the type and usage of battery, batteries of almost all electric trucks are required to be changed. It will add to the maintenance costs. However, governments are trying to attract drivers to electric vehicle technology or to buy electric trucks by offering an attractive tax credit. Tax credits won’t reduce the cost much but will be helpful to some extent.
Insurance Costs
Only a few vehicle insurance firms are willing to insure heavy duty electric trucks. This is currently a complicated issue. Also, the cost of insuring electric vehicles is more than the cost of traditional trucks.
Not Suitable for all Cities
Electric trucks used by Hyderabad transport companies are not fit to run in the cities facing a shortage of power: As electric trucks need the power to charge up, there are cities already facing acute power shortage. Thus, electric trucks are not a suitable option in this case. The consumption of more power through electric trucks would hinder their daily power requirements.
There Are Fewer Choices
There’s no denying that there’s a greater variety of trucks are available in the market than ever before and it is not going to stop growing in the future. But the fact remains here is- not as much to choose from. When it comes to the features of your electric vehicle, you have very fewer options to customize especially when compared with traditional diesel vehicles. On the upside, this will definitely be going to change as electric vehicle popularity continues to grow.
A lot of automobile manufacturers are now keen on manufacturing electric vehicles. The number of electric truck producers is expected to increase in upcoming years. The charging stations are also expected to increase. Transport companies and packers and movers in Vadodara and other cities should look forward to it as electric vehicles are gradually making their reputation in the global market. It’s possible to have a fully charged heavy duty vehicle in a more reasonable time and at some more suitable locations such as outside your workplace, with your car charging while you focus on your work.