Uber Freight, the subsidiary division of ride-sharing giant Uber that specialises in logistics services, wants to support American freight carriers in converting their fleets to electric trucks. This would not only significantly reduce emissions but also save money in the long term. Depending on usage, the total costs are at the same level or, in some cases, even significantly lower. The bottom line is that electric drives have the best TCO (total cost of ownership).
According to Uber Freight, the savings in fuel costs are particularly significant. The cost of charging would only be 20 to 30 per cent of the normal expenditure for diesel. In addition, there are lower maintenance costs and slightly less complex servicing with significantly longer intervals.
The company is collaborating with Tesla on the programme, which is why the Tesla ‘Semi’ truck is being used. It delivers a range of up to 500 miles or around 800 kilometres. Its suitability for long distances is ensured by a 1.2-megawatt charging cable. It also has a practical payload of around 20 tonnes.
However, electric trucks, including Tesla’s Semi, are more expensive to purchase than comparable diesel-powered semi-trucks. Therefore, it may take a while for the two drive systems to reach price parity. The associated financial risk is probably the most serious reason why many freight forwarders are still hesitant to purchase electric tractors.
The purchase of semi trucks is subsidised
With its EV Fleet Accelerator Programme, Uber Freight aims to address precisely this issue and, through certain subsidies, ensure that participating hauliers can benefit from the cost advantages of this type of drive system at an earlier stage. The US platform intends to achieve this through a number of measures. Firstly, Uber Freight is providing financial subsidies for semi trucks purchased as part of the programme.
In addition, the electrically powered fleets will be permanently integrated into Uber Freight’s offering for a certain period of time. This will allow for more reliable revenue forecasts, creating planning security. The brokerage platform also wants to ensure that the fleets of electric trucks are constantly utilised and thus generate continuous income.
As part of a field trial, Uber Freight and Tesla tested the use of electric trucks with selected carriers for two months. During this period, the semi trucks covered nearly 20,000 kilometres in 394 hours of driving time, proving their reliability and cost-effectiveness. Average consumption was 1.72 kWh per mile, while the total charging time per truck was 60 hours.
“Running electric trucks in Northern California was new territory for us, but the cost savings quickly became clear. With Uber Freight’s support and partnership, we had the confidence to invest in our fleet’s long-term performance,” said US logistics firm New Legend.
uberfreight.com
This article was first published by Elias Holdenried for Ev Authority’s German edition
