Electric semi trucks are coming, & the West Coast has a plan

Electric companies along the West Coast have announced potential plans for “an electric truck corridor” following the completion of a company-sponsored study. 

The results of the West Coast Clean Transit Corridor Initiative study, which looked into the possibility of truck-friendly electric charging stations along the coast, were announced just last month, along with a proposal for the project.

According to The Seattle Times, the study and proposal have been made under the assumption that medium-duty electric trucks will have an average range of 90-120 miles during the next five years, and that the average range for heavy-duty trucks will be 230-325 miles over the next decade. As a result, the study recommends erecting electric charging stations for electric semi trucks at 50-mile intervals along Interstate 5 and adjoining highways, an $850 million plan which would be completed in phases over 10 years. 

Phase one would involve the installation of 27 electric truck-charging sites along I-5 at 50 mile intervals, which would only be able to accommodate delivery vans and other similar medium-duty electric trucks. This phase would be completed by 2025.

Phase two involves the expansion of 14 of these charging stations to accommodate semi trucks and other heavy-duty rigs, which would be completed by 2030. Of these 27 charging stations, five would be in Oregon, six in Washington, and 16 in California. 

The proposal also suggests 41 additional charging stations on Interstates 8, 10, 80, 210, and 710, as well as State Routes 60 and 99 in California, Interstate 84 in Oregon, and Interstate 90 in Washington. 

Despite the outlined proposal, none of the rural areas involved in the plan have the utility-capacity to accommodate electric semi truck charging stations, and the funding for the project is still unclear. In the report, the expansion of state, federal, or private programs to fund the project was suggested.