Autonomous vehicles: Race is on for electric truck

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Autonomous vehicles: Race is on for electric truck

As diesel regulations bite, companies are looking to electric trucks for haulage solutions.

By Nick Carey
Updated

Bosch, the German auto components supplier, is partnering with start-up Nikola Motor to bring two hydrogen-electric, long-haul, heavy-duty truck models to market by 2021.

The market for electric medium and heavy-duty trucks is in its infancy, but has drawn a growing crowd of competitors.

Diesel trucks are on the way out - but not quite yet.

Diesel trucks are on the way out - but not quite yet.Credit: STEVE HELBER

Manufacturers such as Daimler and Navistar International Corp, as well as electric car maker Tesla and a host of other new entrants, are racing to overcome the challenges of substituting batteries for diesel engines as regulators crack down on carbon dioxide and soot pollution.

Bosch and Nikola will jointly develop a powertrain, which transmits drive from the engine of a vehicle to its axle, using Bosch's eAxle technology. Bosch, which had $1095 billion in sales in 2016, has been shifting away from traditional combustion engine technologies to zero-emission vehicles.

The vehicle uses a hydrogen fuel cell to power the electric motor. Hydrogen fuel cells are easier and quicker to charge than batteries and have a longer range.

The Nikola One and Nikola Two models are both supposed to have a range of between 1290 and 1900 kilometres, an electric powertrain and zero emissions.

Bosch and Salt Lake City-based Nikola said the eAxle system will be paired with a jointly developed "custom-designed fuel cell system," and hope the powertrain will achieve "segment-leading performance at a competitive total cost of ownership."

High battery costs are a significant hurdle to mass adoption of electric vehicles as they limit vehicle range and size. In the short term, electric package delivery vehicles in urban areas with short, predictable routes will be the main area for competition until battery prices come down.

Daimler said recently that the US United Parcel Service will be the first customer for its new battery-powered eCanter package delivery truck. The company hopes to expand production as lower-cost, longer-range batteries become available within two to three years.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted last week that the Silicon Valley company would show off a prototype of an electric semi-trailer truck in October.

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