Companies don’t have to do it between classic diesel-painted cars and all-electric cars, and they can instead integrate the most productive facets of both with hybrid auxiliary power systems.
Photo: Volta Power Systems
With the expansion of environmental awareness and anti-id legislation for heavier cars on the rise, municipalities and personal corporations are now weighing the pros and cons of implementing all-electric (EV) cars in their truck fleets. These cars are hot because of their positive environmental impact. However, many organizations are suffering to realize their aspirations with ecological awareness because they are limited by cost, good enough infrastructure, training and outreach.
All-electric paint trucks can charge almost twice the value of a diesel paint truck, and this top value is the first obstacle. However, even if an organization has the budget for one of those expensive models, restricting scope becomes the next hurdle for utilities that cover large service spaces.
“Autonomy anxiety” describes the limited distance that electric cars can face and the uncertainty resulting from the operator being successful and returning to their destination before it runs out.
In the case of electric paint trucks, operators revel in increased autonomy anxiety in conditions where there is much at stake. Rather than achieving his destiny and returning to a load of bachelors, his paintings demand more desires for strength than just driving. Operators also want enough force to paint at sites of remote structures, requiring higher degrees of strength and sufficient capacity to supply hydraulic equipment, power equipment and other devices during the day.
While the driving range of EVs continues to improve, the issue of range anxiety is exacerbated by the lack of publicly-available EV charging stations in many parts of the U.S., very few of which can accommodate a commercial work truck. What’s more, safe charging is slow (compared to filling up a diesel tank), so even as the number of charge stations increases, the problem of time remains.
Though organizations and municipalities are working to change this, the lack of charging infrastructure ultimately limits how long operators can work before stopping to preserve charge. Fully-electric work vehicles place limitations on workers that put them at risk for being stranded at a job site with inadequate power to complete their work, or insufficient energy to travel to the nearest vehicle charging station.
In rural or remote areas, this also presents a risk during natural disasters. Fires, floods and inclement weather all have the potential to change the landscape in a way that requires additional range and time for utility workers to make their way safely back. Going electric on a fleet would mean those vehicles aren’t available for essential safety work.
Fortunately, corporations don’t have to decide between classic cars with diesel paint and all-electric cars, and instead they can integrate the most productive facets of any of them with hybrid auxiliary force formulas. Unlike an all-electric or even hybrid transmission vehicle, those trucks have the reliable diversity of their all-diesel counterparts. But instead, a new generation of hybrids is a complex lithium-ion force formula for auxiliary paints that eliminate emissions and inactivity noise.
Consumer grade 12 V iron and lithium phosphate (LFP) systems are available on the market for some time. Since its introduction, the most complex generation has given the impression in the Force Garage scene. New access to nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) generation, the same generation used by automakers such as Chevy and Tesla, provides higher strength density and reliability, which is a must for application operators. NMC can buy more than 60% more strength in the same area as maximum LFP systems and 500% more strength than lead-acid. This equates to all-day force for hydraulic systems, compressors, and force tools.
In 2018, Volta Power Systems, a manufacturer of NMC-based lithium-ion power systems, partnered with ETI to obtain Oklahoma Gas-Electric (OG-E) with the first hybrid cube paint truck using Volta’s patented lithium-ion technology. . The purpose of OG-E was to “green its fleet” by absolutely removing the idling of the pod trucks they use.
The implementation of a Volta formula allowed the OG-E truck to move to a frame site, shut down the engine absolutely and still have more than enough force to run the hydraulic lift, pneumatic equipment and exportable 120V force for force equipment. In addition, by getting rid of the desire to be idle or using a generator, truck drivers can simply paint a silent third shift without disturbing the citizens of the neighborhood with a noisy engine.
Power systems recharge an alternator while driving from one place to another, reducing and, in some cases, eliminating the need for vehicle charging stations. There is more than enough force capacity for fleet cars to run with force tools, hydraulic systems, air conditioning, micro-grid and more at the touch of a button. In addition, the systems are compatible with all chassis and can be standardized to equip a complete fleet of trucks.
All this to say that it is imaginable to absolutely hybridize an existing fleet of paint trucks for much less than upgrade it with an all-electric fleet. Hybrid power systems, such as those proposed through Volta, can be seamlessly installed in existing fleet cars and pre-installed in newly purchased cars, eliminating the desire to start from scratch while temporarily implementing an environmentally conscious initiative.
The implementation of hybrid power systems in a fleet of paint trucks is a cost-effective solution in reaction to anti-slowing regulations without the anxiety of the autonomy of all-electric vehicles. Opens up opportunities for incentives and subsidies for green fleets. Technology has proven its value, strength is trustworthy and the effects are undeniable: companies don’t have to spend a lot of cash for an eco-responsible fleet solution.
Related: New anti-slow movement for cell tool trucks.
About the author: Jack Johnson is the founder and CEO of Volta Power Systems. He has 16 years of experience at Johnson Control as a leader in complex tissue science, next-generation launches, and internationally structured response times. In 2009, Johnson was invited to lead the launch of the Johnson Control-Saft joint venture, where he was guilty of the $250 million capital progression for the first large-format automotive lithium-ion plant. In 2014, Johnson applied the wisdom gained from the lithium-ion complex and created his own company to support small OEMs who wanted to continue the deployment of complex energy.
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