ACT Expo recap: Volvo and Hyundai work on self-driving trucks; Tesla to deliver more Semis to PepsiCo

The 2024 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Las Vegas focused on ways to make commercial fleets cleaner, safer and meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations. Making news at this year's show: Tesla said it would deliver 50 more electric Semis to PepsiCo, Honda will hit the California market this summer with a fuel-cell version of the CR-V crossover and Volvo and Hyundai are working with partners to advance self-driving trucks. Here's a recap of the the key developments from this year's expo: Megawatt charging solves long-haul trucking's EV concernsThu, May 23, 9:08 pmCharging networks are touting megawatt technology as a way to shorten charging times and boost purchases of battery-electric trucks for at least some parts of the freight industry.Volvo Trucks and Aurora ready for self-driving truck productionThu, May 23, 3:47 pmAurora Innovation Inc. and Volvo have, in one way or another, worked on developing autonomous trucks together for the past six years. The first production-ready truck resulting from those efforts made its debut at the ACT Expo on Monday.Volvo has started to manufacture an initial test fleet of the Volvo VNL Autonomous at its New River Valley factory in Dublin, Va., the largest Volvo truck manufacturing plant in the world.Those trucks are expected to reach public roads for testing this summer, an Aurora spokesperson said. The testing will include hauling goods in autonomous mode, though human safety drivers will remain behind the wheel.The VNL Autonomous was built from a clean slate with redundancy in mind. Volvo Autonomous Solutions designed the Class 8 truck with redundant braking, steering and propulsion systems.It will be capable of Level 4 automated driving operations, which have no role for humans in any part of the driving task.Aurora intends to begin driverless commercial service by the end of this year on a route between Dallas and Houston. The company spokesperson declined to say whether it will begin service with Volvo trucks or those made by Paccar, its other manufacturing partner.Aurora and Volvo began working together in 2018 and showcased an early prototype of the autonomous Volvo VNL in September 2021.— Pete BigelowTesla Semi attracts ride-and-drive participantsWed, May 22, 9:54 pmAmong the offerings at the ACT Expo ride-and-drive lot is the Tesla Semi, which one speaker called ”the talk of the industry.“The manufacturer is delivering an additional 50 Semis to PepsiCo, which showcased the truck’s performance in an industry competition last year. During the contest, which was hosted by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, one PepsiCo Tesla Semi traveled 1,076 miles in a single day with three relatively brief 750-kilowatt fast-charging stops.— Molly BoigonMedium-duty the 'gateway drug to electrification' for skeptical fleetsWed, May 22, 9:50 pmMedium-duty truck manufacturers are hoping that the lower barrier to entry for their vehicles will serve as a steppingstone to full electrification for heavy-duty transportation. In the meantime, those companies are also working on incremental improvements that aid the total cost of ownership.Rizon’s two new models, the e18Mx and e18Lx, have an upgraded payload capacity of 18,850 pounds, compared with 17,995 pounds for the current models. Rizon manufactures Class 4 and Class 5 electric vehicles.Medium-duty is a good steppingstone ”because the acquisition is cheaper, because the charging infrastructure is easier to do,“ and ”customers can get more comfortable with the technologies,“ said Alexander Voets, the general manager of Velocity EV, the distributor of Rizon Trucks. They can add more electric trucks ”later at scale or in larger vehicle classes.“”I call the Rizon the gateway drug to electrification,“ he said.— Molly BoigonHyundai plus Plus equals an autonomous, hydrogen truckWed, May 22, 7:19 pmSelf-driving trucks equipped with hydrogen fuel cell propulsion hold much promise for long-haul travel. Until now, that promise was largely theoretical.Hyundai Motor Co. and self-driving software provider Plus unveiled such a vehicle Wednesday at ACT Expo.The companies showcased a Class 8 Hyundai Xcient fuel cell truck outfitted with a Plus self-driving system. The truck is already undergoing "initial autonomous assessments" on a closed course in California and other locations, a Plus spokesperson said.Hyundai and Plus have billed it as the first autonomous, hydrogen-powered truck in the U.S.While autonomous driving technologies and hydrogen fuel cells are both in a fledgling state of real-world deployments, combining them onto a vehicle platform may someday make for a powerful tandem at scale.Robot drivers don’t need breaks and — in theory — may not need to meet hours-of-service requirements. On a truck with long range, they can travel for hours without needing to stop. The Xcient fuel cell truck provides a driving range of 450 miles even when fully loaded, Hyundai said.The company introduced the Xcient at last year’s ACT Expo. It is powered by two 90-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell systems and a 350-kW e-motor.Plus brings its SuperDrive autonomous system to the collaboration. It is capable of Level 4 automated driving operations, meaning humans have no role in the driving process, but there might be geographic or weather-related restrictions on the vehicle operations themselves.— Pete BigelowA look at the Kenworth Super Truck 2Wed, May 22, 3:03 pmIf there is a star of the ACT Expo, it's definitely the Kenworth Super Truck 2. It's "Blade Runner," "Mad Max" and "RoboCop" all rolled into one.It came about as a result of a challenge — and funding — issued by the Department of Energy that asked Class 8 truck manufacturers to see how efficient they could make their biggest trucks.The sleek shape of the Kenworth truck delivers a massive 48 percent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency. That and a huge reduction in weight helps the Super Truck get nearly 13 mpg — more than double a regular Class 8 truck.— Richard TruettHonda fuel cell CR-V eFCEV to hit California dealerships this summerTue, May 21, 11:25 pmHonda’s return to the passenger car market with a fuel cell vehicle will soon be official.The Honda CR-V eFCEV arrives this summer at select dealerships in California. The car will have plug-in capability that delivers 29 miles of city driving with a total range of 270 miles, according to Honda.The company showcased the vehicle at the ACT Expo in Las Vegas.It is being built at the company’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio, where Honda made the Acura NSX.The fuel cell systems are being produced at a factory in Brownstown Township, Mich., that’s run as part of a joint venture with General Motors. Honda said the partnership resulted in a 67 percent cost reduction compared with the company’s previous fuel cell vehicle, the Clarity, which it discontinued in 2021.No word yet on prices for the eFCEV.— Richard TruettForvia looks to lower hydrogen costs with next-gen holding tankTue, May 21, 10:10 pmWith EPA fines now in place for Class 8 trucks that don't meet emissions standards, fleet operators are taking a hard look at hydrogen that can be burned in internal combustion engines. The downside is hydrogen is more expensive than diesel fuel, engine maintenance is roughly the same, and the trucks cost more. But suppliers are already working to close the price gap.Forvia, the company formed by the combination of Faurecia and Hella, has a next-generation hydrogen tank undergoing final testing that holds more than 10,000 pounds per square inch — nearly twice the gaseous hydrogen of its existing tank. And the new tank costs far less to manufacture than the current one.Tarek Abdel-Baset, Forvia’s chief engineer for hydrogen storage systems, said the tank is made in an automated process that replaces the current roto-molding manufacturing system. The existing tank takes hours to produce, but the new tank takes minutes, and that efficiency lowers the cost, he said.Forvia is close to announcing the location of a North American hydrogen tank plant to serve two of its Class 8 truck customers.— Richard TruettIndustries will be competing for hydrogen, manufacturers acknowledgeTue, May 21, 7:25 pmHydrogen, the tiny molecule set to power legions of fuel cell and hydrogen combustion engine vehicles, will be a hot commodity, truckmakers say. Maybe too hot.”There are so many other industries that will require a lot of hydrogen,“ said Mathias Carlbaum, CEO of Navistar, during a roundtable of executives at the ACT Expo. ”Hydrogen will be very fought for.“Manufacturers have pitched hydrogen as a panacea for long-haul trucking, which has been slow to transition to electric because of long fueling times and heavy batteries. Hydrogen is energy dense and can pack power into a lighter packag. Its fueling times are analogous to those of diesel.But producing hydrogen can be very carbon intensive and expensive. And hydrogen can be difficult to transport.Some companies and advocates say that because of these complexities, industries should save hydrogen for sectors that would be ill-served by direct electrification. Fertilizer production, petrochemicals and steel production are industries that are difficult to decarbonize.Steel manufacturing is at the root of about 8 percent of global emissions because of a process that produces pure iron using metallurgical coal. Hydrogen can replace the metallurgical coal in this process.”There’ll be other sectors that need“ hydrogen, Carlbaum said. ”So let’s see how this plays out.“The vast majority of hydrogen produced in the U.S. is reformed from natural gas, a process that emits 9 kilograms of carbon dioxide for every kilogram of hydrogen produced.Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water molecules using electricity. That process emits only oxygen, but it is expensive â€“ roughly three times the cost of the typical means of production. It’s also energy intensive, raising questions about the purity of the production method if it’s powered by dirty electricity.— Molly BoigonElectric truck chassis maker books 4,000 ordersTue, May 21, 2:32 pmHarbinger Motors — a startup that makes Class 4 to 6 electric vehicle chassis — said it has booked 4,000 ”binding orders“ from large businesses and commercial vehicle dealers.Harbinger, which is based Garden Grove, Calif., announced the orders at the ACT Expo this morning.The majority of Harbinger’s electric chassis will be sent to upfitters and used to underpin delivery vans that will be added to the fleets of Bimbo Bakeries USA and postal service operator Mail Management Services. THOR Industries, an Elkhart, Ind., RV manufacturer best known for its Airstream motor homes and RVs, is also a customer.Harbinger’s electric chassis is powered by a scalable 800-volt liquid cooled battery with a maximum range between charges of 200 miles. It will be built in three sizes and be eligible for federal incentives that can knock as much as $40,000 off the price.A Harbinger spokesman said customers ”have placed a nonrefundable deposit for each vehicle in their order.“ Harbinger said it expects to begin production this year.The EV chassis and powertrain are designed to last 20 years or 450,000 miles.— Richard TruettFord inks deal to help Dallas electrify municipal fleetTue, May 21, 1:38 pmFord Pro, Ford Motor Co.'s commercial division, entered a 10-year agreement with Dallas to manage electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the city’s fleet operations. Dallas will use Ford Pro chargers at its worksites and the automaker’s software to manage charging performance.Ford announced the contract at the ACT Expo clean transportation conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Dallas wants to start replacing part of its 5,400-vehicle fleet with EVs.”This agreement with Ford Pro marks a significant milestone and will help our city avoid energy waste and save money on energy costs,“ Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a statement.Ford sees contracts like this as a growth area. The combined fleets of state and local governments in the U.S amount to about 4 million vehicles.— Jerry HirschSchool bus maker Blue Bird plans electric delivery vansTue, May 21, 12:50 amSchool bus manufacturer Blue Bird Corp. is looking to deliver more than students to a destination. The nearly 100-year-old company is teaming up with electric vehicle maker Xos and and truck body company Morgan Olson to tackle the Class 5 to Class 6 delivery van market.The Macon, Ga., company showed off prototypes at the ACT Expo clean transportation conference in Las Vegas on Monday.The last-mile delivery step van and stripped chassis prototypes have a 140-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack mounted inside the frame rails. They offer a range of up to 130 miles per charge and will take one to 12 hours to recharge depending on the charging infrastructure, Blue Bird said.Delivery vans have a similar drive cycle to school buses. They typically operate during the day on selected urban routes of fewer than 100 miles and return to a depot for fueling, or in an EV’s case, charging. Blue Bird already makes an electric school bus.”Blue Bird has perfected its core capabilities of designing, engineering and manufacturing school buses from the ground up. Now we are one step closer to applying our world-class vehicle manufacturing expertise and expanding our electric-powered product range to the commercial vehicle market,“ Britton Smith, president of Blue Bird, said in a statement.— Jerry HirschTesla will deliver 50 more electric Semis to PepsiCoTue, May 21, 12:49 amTesla is delivering 50 more of its commercial vehicle, the Semi, to PepsiCo Inc., said Dan Priestly, the senior manager of the electric automaker's Semi division.Full storyToyotaâ€™s Hino division and Hexagon Purus will launch an electric heavy-duty truckMon, May 20, 6:16 pmToyota’s heavy-truck division Hino Trucks announced plans to launch an electric Class 8 tractor under the Tern brand name at the ACT Expo clean transportation conference in Las Vegas Monday.Hino has a long-term agreement with Hexagon Purus, valued at up to approximately $2 billion, to produce the vehicles, the companies said. Hexagon Purus develops fuel cell electric and electric vehicle components.The Tern RC8 truck will use a Hino XL Series chassis and will have Hexagon Purus’ zero-emission technology. It incorporates an e-Axle from Dana and battery cells from Panasonic Energy.It will be assembled at Hexagon Purus’ new facility in Dallas, with production starting late this year. Sales will start in California, where regulators are phasing out internal combustion trucks.”We are excited to see Tern launched in California, where fleet electrification is imperative,“ Glenn Ellis, president of Hino Trucks, said in a statement.— Jerry HirschHot and cold: Battery fires and winter issues front and center at ACT ExpoMon, May 20, 6:16 pmCompanies are working on solutions to cold-weather battery issues and fires, said speakers at the Battery Technology Pathways and Paradigm Shifts workshop at ACT Expo.The technologies on display — solid-state batteries, range extenders for use in cold weather and ceramic separators — highlight two persistent problems for electric transportation. Electric commercial and passenger vehicles have been dogged by the risk of thermal runaway in lithium ion batteries, which can cause dangerous fires, and the struggle to maintain battery range in cold weather.Solid-state batteries can remain stable at higher temperatures, and a ceramic separator is also less likely than the typical polymer separator to deform in the heat. Range extenders heat vehicle HVAC systems to preserve battery range when temperatures drop.”Cold ambient temperatures put a significant load“ and ”a burden“ on batteries, said Vlad Kalika, the CEO at Proof Energy, which makes a range extender. ”More than a third of range is lost when temperatures fall just below freezing.“— Molly BoigonBollinger's go-to-market plan takes shapeMon, May 20, 5:58 pmBollinger Motors is putting other pieces of its go-to-market-plan in place while the assembly line for its B4 electric truck is set up this spring.The company has signed a vendor for mobile service and warranty repairs, and secured funding into 2025.Amerit Fleet Solutions will provide maintenance, repair and warranty work for the B4 and future Bollinger vehicles outside designated service areas covered by Bollinger dealers, the company said.It’s an agreement that gives the upstart brand nationwide coverage, CEO Robert Bollinger said.”Our customers can have total confidence in our trucks, knowing we have a complete sales, service and warranty network across America,“ he said.The B4 is on display at ACT Expo this week. It is built on a chassis developed in-house, and powered by a Dana electric rear axle and a 158-kwH lithium iron phosphate battery pack sourced from Our Next Energy.Separately, Bollinger has received additional funding from Mullen Automotive, which already owns 60 percent of Bollinger.Mullen said last week it raised $150 million, through a $100 million private investment and by selling $50 million worth of convertible notes to investors. An undisclosed amount has been distributed to Bollinger to fund operations through next summer, Mullen said.”Mullen Automotive has been a strong partner as our majority stockholder and their increased investment will result in a higher percent ownership, the precise details of which are still being finalized,“ Bollinger told Automotive News.Roush is building the B4 under contract, with production scheduled to start in suburban Detroit late this year.— Richard TruettHonda's fuel cell truck technology is ready for workMon, May 20, 5:57 pmHonda plans to demonstrate how its fuel cell modules can provide zero-emissions power to big rigs in North America.Full storyDaimler Truck unveils its first autonomous, battery electric eCascadiaMon, May 20, 5:55 pmDaimler Truck envisions a freight-toting future underpinned by autonomous and electric trucks. Now, the company has combined those technologies on a single vehicle platform.Full storyAhead of ACT Expo, new EPA standards mean the devil is in the detailsMon, May 20, 5:53 pmCompanies at this year's ACT Expo will be looking for ways to comply with the new standards, even if the improvements appear marginal.Full story

ACT Expo recap: Volvo and Hyundai work on self-driving trucks; Tesla to deliver more Semis to PepsiCo

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