As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) continued commitment to electrified commercial road transport, DOE today announced a $68 million investment to design, develop, and demonstrate innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging sites near key ports, distribution hubs, and major corridors. The projects are selected and funded through DOE’s SuperTruck Charge initiative and aim to accelerate deployment of large-scale public EV charging infrastructure for medium-and heavy-duty (MHD) EVs for improved grid resiliency and reliability.
DOE’s SuperTruck Program launched in 2009 with four industry participants successfully demonstrating new, efficient technologies for Class 8 tractor trucks, including many that have been commercialized. SuperTruck 2 followed with five industry participants more than doubling Class-8 tractor truck efficiency while significantly improving engine brake thermal efficiency. SuperTruck 3 projects, scheduled to be completed in 2027, will reduce MHD truck greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions by 75% (on a lifecycle basis) and reduce the total cost of truck ownership, concentrating on electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks.
“The U.S. Department of Energy’s SuperTruck program has significantly advanced energy-efficient technologies for freight trucks which play a vital role in our economy," said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “The new SuperTruck Charge projects will add to these advancements by demonstrating replicable models that deliver cost-effective, high-power charging for electric trucks while improving grid resiliency and reliability for medium- and heavy-duty EV deployment.”
Each SuperTruck Charge project targets large-scale, replicable, high-power charging installations to serve MHD electric fleets with tens to hundreds of vehicles. They will develop and demonstrate high-capacity charging infrastructure to serve MHD electric trucks for long-haul use cases (more than 500 miles per day) along major corridors and rural regions where grid capacity is limited. As momentum grows for MHD electrification, spurred by falling technology costs, continued innovation will scale up infrastructure to improve air quality, enhance the reliability of commercial road transport, and establish America's global competitiveness and leadership in MHD electrification.