The U.S. is falling well behind on a public EV charging infrastructure – and that’s even more true when it comes to charging for commercial vehicles. It’s considered one of the biggest barriers to widespread EV truck adoption.
Now, a few U.S. companies want to speed up the process.
Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy Resources and Black Rock Renewable Power announced a plan to solve the charging problem – and it’s gonna cost a ton of money.
The trio have signed onto a joint venture to “design, develop, install and operate a nationwide, high-performance charging network for medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the U.S.” It’s supposed to start later this year and will cost a chunky $650 million, divided between all three companies.
The first phase is set to being in 2023, so that’s when EV truckers can expect to see the first charging stations. Eventually the network is planned to span the U.S. – but for now it will be concentrated in three main areas: the east and west coasts and Texas.
Don’t worry if you’re an EV driver but don’t happen to have a large truck. You can still use the stations for your passenger vehicle.
There’s no word right now on how many of these stations they plan to build, but it’s safe to assume that it’ll be a lot considering how far trucks usually have to go.
State, local and national governments continue to lag behind when creating infrastructure for EVs. So, it seems private companies are taking it into their own hands – only time will tell if that actually pans out, because ya know, capitalism.