The effort to reduce carbon emissions by transitioning to electric vehicles isn’t going as well as it might seem.
On the bright side, the adoption of electric cars is happening faster than some experts predicted, with sales in the U.S. soaring 65% to 800,000 last year. But the move to electric power for big commercial trucks is stuck in first gear, with only a few thousand on American roads.
Experts say it’s vital to replace millions of diesel-engine tractor-trailers and other big rigs with green alternatives to tackle climate change. Medium- and heavy-duty trucks make up only about 5% of U.S. vehicles but spew about 23% of all greenhouse gases from transportation sources, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
… Beyond the steep price of battery trucks, fleet operators face high expenses and other challenges in constructing charging stations at their depots. Among the hurdles: delays in government approvals, lead times of up to two years in procuring the electrical gear, and trouble getting the local utility to provide the vast amount of power needed.
