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Thetrucker.com
EQUIPMENT & TECH
SEPTEMBER 2023 • 25
Batteries included
Electric drive axle trailers add new dimension to decarbonization choices
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
All the hype about different brands of
heavy-duty electric trucks is enough to
confuse anyone, especially anyone who’s
currently driving an old-fashioned truck with
an internal combustion engine.
While electric rigs have a place in trucking,
many in the industry agree that the current
technology doesn’t have the range for longhaul
operations. Even if long-range capability
was there, the nation’s power grid isn’t in place
yet for charging.
In other words, electric vehicles (EVs) have
a long way to go.
One company, however, is using EV
technology to produce something drivers
might see and use in the not-too-distant
future. That “something” is an electric trailer,
the creation of Mountain View, Californiabased
Range Energy.
The RA-01 dry van trailer, equipped
with batteries, motor and drive axle, can
provide enough extra horsepower to save
the tractor owner 30% to 40% on fuel costs
while increasing overall safety, according to
company leadership.
Range CEO and founder Ali Javidan grew
up around trucks and machinery, studying
mechanical engineering and working in the
racing field. He followed that experience
with a stint at Tesla, then Google, and finally
Zoox, where he helped develop the company’s
robotaxi service. Javidan brought those
experiences to Range — along with a new
idea.
“All this pressure is being put on Class 8
Courtesy of Range Energy
Battery-powered dry van trailers can help conserve fuel usage when teamed with diesel-fueled tractors, according
to product developer Range Energy.
fleets to decarbonize, but when I look at the
methods being presented, it’s like, the fleets
aren’t going to use this. Are you kidding?” he
said. “Everybody’s talking about the tractor.
Nobody’s talking about the trailer.”
Javidan’s solution is a trailer that adds to a
tractor’s power on uphill roads and to the its
braking power on downgrades, all without any
additional actions or input from the driver.
The system starts with the “smart” kingpin,
which senses when the tractor is pulling or
braking and relays the information to an
electric motor that drives the front axle of the
trailer bogie. The harder the pull, the more
power is supplied, easing the strain on the
tractor’s drive train on upgrades and when
starting out in heavy traffic.
On downgrades, the axle helps slow the
vehicle. In testing, the effect was enough to
cause the driver to turn off the engine brake
to keep the truck rolling at the targeted speed.
While it’s slowing the truck, the system is also
generating electricity that’s used to prolong
the charge in the batteries.
“It’s a simple dry van or reefer trailer. We
clip a battery pack to the bottom of it, right
under the skirt,” Javidan said. “We put a sensor
in the king pin and then we replace a drive axle
with a driven axle. And then, all of a sudden,
we unlock this whole new world.”
That battery power is also available for
other uses. It can be used to power lift gates,
landing gear or other electrical devices,
without hooking to a trailer. The drive axle can
even be configured to generate electricity full
time when the vehicle is moving, providing
power for an electric temperature-control
unit; however, the fuel savings would be
impacted.
Javidan says the system will be rolled out
through a major trailer manufacturer, and
customers will have the option of specifying
the Range system. The system can also be
installed on existing trailers.
“We’ve developed the process for retrofit
so that a single person with a small toolkit
and a forklift can retrofit two trailers per day
by himself,” Javidan said.
“We actually spend a whole day in the
maintenance shops,” he continued. “We’ve
basically developed our retrofit procedure so
it works in every one of these service shops. It
will also work in a pop-up tent that they may
put on the side of their yard to use as a ‘small
assembly plant.’”
The Range Energy trailers will also be
available through trailer leasing operations,
allowing carriers to try out the technology
before investing in a purchase.
Charging the powered trailers won’t
require the construction of a bank of vehicle
chargers or a change to the local grid.
See TRAILERS on PAGE 28
US Class 8 truck sales still strong despite losing steam in July
iStock Photo
Earlier this year, with a projected recession on the horizon, analysts
predicted a drop in truck sales. Those projections have mostly been revised,
with the recession delayed (if it occurs at all).
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
U.S. sales of new Class 8 trucks in July were higher than in
the same month of 2022, according to information received
from Wards Intelligence. Manufacturers reported U.S. sales
of 21,021 units in July, the lowest total since February but still
up 2.5% from the same month of 2022. If the trend continues,
August could mark the first time in 2023 that monthly sales
were lower than in the same month last year.
Compared to June sales numbers, 3,064 fewer trucks were
sold, a decline of 12.7%. For the year to date, manufacturers
have reported sales of 156,864 Class 8 trucks on the U.S.
market, up 18.1% (23,797 units) from the same point in 2022.
Early projections for 2023 predicted sales would fall off as
the economy entered a recession and freight rates bottomed
out. Those projections have mostly been revised, with the recession
delayed (if it occurs at all), and truck sales remaining
strong.
Orders for new Class 8 trucks in July were anticipated to
top 16,000, exceeding orders in July 2022 by 45%. Typically,
July is a slow month for orders because manufacturers are
closing their books for the current model year and have yet
to start taking orders for the next one.
“July is the traditional low-water mark for monthly order
placements,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analysts
at ACT Research. “2024 orderboards are not yet, or just barely
open, making the opportunity for bigger numbers elusive.”
Eric Starks, chairman of the board at FTR Intelligence,
commented. “We had expected net orders to fall below
10,000 units monthly several months ago as fleets wait for
OEMs to open 2024 build slots, but that did not occur.”
The used Class 8 market declined in sales volume from
June numbers by 4%, according to ACT’s “State of the Industry:
U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks,” but other numbers were
favorable to prospective buyers. Compared with July 2022,
sales have increased by 34%, due at least in part to greater
used truck inventory. At the same time, the average price of a
used Class 8 truck has fallen 28%, and average miles and age
have also fallen. That’s good news for buyers who have been
waiting for the market to loosen up.
One factor that will impact truck markets in some way
is the bankruptcy of Yellow Corp. The company’s website
sports the claim that it was the fifth-largest transportation
company in the U.S., handling 90,000 freight shipments daily.
While negotiations continue for financing to allow continued
operation at the time of this writing, it’s certainly possible
other carriers could purchase part or all of the com-
See TRUCK SALES on PAGE 26