An interesting story has been emerging about two Merritt residents who have created a hybrid (diesel/electric) logging truck prototype that displays innovations and dedication to sustainability. It has taken them two years and over a million dollars (of crowd-source funds mostly from other truckers) to build their first two prototypes.
Eric Little and Chace Barber (Edison Motors’ co-founders) were inspired to create their own electric truck since Tesla was so slow at releasing their electric truck as promised in 2016.
The hybrid truck is a specially designed heavy-duty vehicle intended to replace traditional diesel-powered logging trucks. Little said much of the inspiration for the truck came from their mission to protect the environment.
Also check out the You Tube videos which shows the truck as well as commentary by the builders about the problems they had to overcome to build and test the first prototypes. The electric motor had to be moved closer to the drive axles because the drive shaft and universal joints kept breaking because of the high torque from the electric motor.
The prototype boasts features that make it unique and suitable for the rugged conditions of the logging industry. It is equipped with an electric motor and a diesel motor that promises more horsepower with a fraction of the fuel costs and emissions.
The builders believe this version is the solution for now, as about only 10 per cent of the industry can operate on fully electric trucks. For example, batteries are used when loggers go uphill with their empty trucks because they are still very light. Once loaded, more energy is produced going down the hill than you used going up.(i.e regenerative braking).
In order to meet the needs of the other 80 per cent of logging truck situations that don’t always have logs on mountain tops for recharging batteries they have replaced a 15 litre diesel engine to a nine litre one and you can drive for about two hours off the batteries, depending on your load, and then the generator fires up for another 30 minutes. So you are only running a nine litre motor for a half-hour to drive off electric for two hours, instead of running a 15 litre diesel 100 per cent of the time.
While we wait for the delivery of these hybrid trucks we might start seeing electric motors on the logging trailers. Truck News April 2022 describes how FPInnovations is currently developing a hybrid trailer for forestry operations, with plans to replace a conventional trailer axle with an electrically powered drive axle.
The project is reportedly worth around $2.5 million and is funded by Natural Resource Canada’s Clean Growth Program. The fuel savings are claimed to be up to 15 per cent with the trailers with greenhouse gas emissions reductions up to 40 tonnes per year. Another reported benefit to the trailers is nearly 50 per cent better traction in slippery conditions.
I think these hybrid systems are a good way to transition away from conventional diesel-powered trucks. The electric trailer prototypes will use regenerative braking to recharge the batteries, reduce brake fade, and increase safety in mountainous terrain for both log and biomass trailers.
As Baber and Little point out in their video it takes time to find the weaknesses in any prototypes so the sooner we incorporate the hybrids into our truck fleets the faster we can make the improvements.
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