Electric trucks to grow fast from now through 2030: report

Cummins Urban Hauler Tractor conceptIn the coming years, the world's auto industry will continue to shift its product mix to electric and electrified vehicles to meet growing concerns over carbon emissions and stringent fuel-economy regulations across the globe. However, the passenger-car segment isn't the only area that will see electric powertrains implemented. A new study...

Ford Transit van with range-extended electric powertrain revealed

Ford Transit Plug-In Hybrid van for the UKAs European countries continue to crack down on emissions from road vehicles, automakers are stepping up with solutions to ease reduce levels of smog-causing nitrogen oxides, especially in city centers. Ford identified the commercial vehicle segment as one it believes is ripe for electrification, and earlier this month it revealed its Ford Transit...

Chanje electric delivery truck from China to go on sale this year

Chanje medium-duty electric truckA new electric-vehicle company called Chanje isn't focused on cars; instead, has set its sights on what it believes is a prime market for electric vehicles. That market is medium-duty delivery trucks, of which there are 7 million in the United States. About 500,000 new commercial-delivery trucks are sold each year. Chanje's electric truck, its...

Cummins electric semi truck: traditional maker takes on Tesla

Cummins Urban Hauler Tractor conceptThe well-established Cummins company chose an appropriate time to reveal its all-electric semi tractor concept: just before Tesla prepares to reveal its own electric semi next month. The traditional diesel-engine maker debuted its Urban Hauler Tractor, a Class 7 semi truck with a 44,000-pound payload. Notably, the company called the semi truck a...

UK Royal Mail electric vans now entering service

Arrival UK Royal Mail electric postal vanThe United Kingdom's Royal Postal Service has entered a new era as its first electric mail vans enter service. In total, nine electric postal vans from local company Arrival will enter the Royal Post's fleet, along with another 100 electric vans to be added in December from French brand Peugeot. The Arrival electric vans are capable of traveling...

Tesla semi truck to test self-driving, capable of ‘platooning’: report

Teaser for Tesla semi truck debuting in SeptemberWith Tesla, there's always something new coming up to keep owners, buyers, and fans excited. The company's main task over the next year is to get its lower-priced Model 3 electric car into volume assembly at high quality, a process CEO Elon Musk has called "production hell." But there's more to come, one of the new products being Tesla's promised...

Several states wants far cleaner diesel trucks; EPA to start rulemaking?

Freightliner Inspiration Truck self-driving truck conceptAlmost one-third of the heavy trucks on U.S. roads now use the most stringent emission-control systems, which radically reduce their emissions of nitrogen oxides, soot, and other pollutants. Commercial trucks log much higher annual mileage than passenger cars, especially the semi tractors that haul long-distance freight across the country. That...

Missing piece in global vehicle emission puzzle: heavy trucks

Toyota 'Project Portal' proof-of-concept hydrogen fuel-cell powered semi tractor, for Port of LAA global push to reduce vehicle emissions and create cleaner air for future generations has been underway for half a century now. However, while many governments around the world have introduced lower emission and higher fuel-efficiency standards for passenger cars, another large contributor to global emissions has mostly traveled under the radar...

Renault Kangoo ZE small electric van now on sale with longer range

2017 Renault Kangoo ZE           [photo: Yannick Brossard for Renault]French automaker Renault has given its small light commercial electric vehicle a handful of upgrades, including a significantly longer battery range. The Renault Kangoo ZE is now officially on sale with a longer rated range, a more powerful charging system, and a heat pump to keep the little van efficient in the coldest temperatures. Renault...

Deutsche Post and Ford to build Transit-based electric van

Electric mail delivery van based on Ford Transit chassis, by Deutsche Post StreetScooter with FordDeutsche Post, the German mail service, has long hoped to replace its fleet of 30,000 internal-combustion delivery vans with electric vehicles. In 2014, it bought the company Street Scooter, which has since built thousands of small car-sized electric delivery vans. Now Deutsche Post has announced it is partnering with Ford to put a larger...

UPS electric van with fuel-cell range extender to be tested in California

Prototype plug-in electric delivery van with fuel-cell range extender to be tested by UPS in 2017Considerable skepticism remains that passenger vehicles powered by hydrogen will become a major part of U.S. sales any time soon—or ever. Quietly, however, analysts suggest that hydrogen may provide a solution to the different challenges of producing zero-emission heavy trucks and delivery vehicles. Despite growing hoopla over Elon Musk's...

Elon Musk teased Tesla’s electric semi truck at a TED talk

Teaser for Tesla semi truck debuting in SeptemberIt's no secret Tesla CEO Elon Musk is an ambitious man, but he continues to fuel the hype surrounding the company by recently teasing the first Tesla semi truck. In typical Tesla fashion, the semi truck will be all electric. Its goal is to showcase the possibilities of electric range over diesel fuel, and Musk is confident the truck will...

Volvo concept truck uses hybrid power to cut fuel use, emissions

Volvo Concept TruckBecause they cover significantly more mileage than the average passenger car, with much worse fuel economy, large commercial trucks are a major source of emissions. Last year, Volvo Trucks aimed to address this issue with a concept truck that demonstrated ways to improve fuel efficiency through aerodynamics and weight reduction. Volvo Trucks sells...

Plug-in hybrid utility truck keeps lights on during emergencies

Pacific Gas & Electric plug-in hybrid Class 6 truckCalifornia electric utility Pacific Gas & Electric recently took delivery of a pair of new trucks that it hopes will help solve two problems. The first is power outages, whether they are caused by weather or necessary planned maintenance work conducted by utilities. The other is every utility's huge bill for diesel fuel. The large trucks...

Starship electric sidewalk-delivery robot a hit at DC Auto Show

Electric sidewalk delivery robot from Starship Technologies at 2017 Washington DC Auto ShowWhat would you do if a small, knee-high box on wheels with a flag topping its tall antenna whirred toward you electrically on a sidewalk at 4 miles per hour? It turns out three-quarters of the pedestrians in several cities who've seen one didn't stop or even stare as it avoided them and continued on its way. That box is an electric sidewalk...

Renault adds new Master ZE larger electric delivery van

2017 Renault Master ZE and Kangoo ZE (background) electric delivery vansFrench carmaker Renault sells no passenger cars in North America, and hasn't for almost 30 years now. But in Europe, its all-electric Zoe subcompact hatchback has been the best-selling plug-in electric car for months on end. The Zoe is one of three "ZE" (zero emission) vehicles sold by Renault, and now the ZE lineup is adding another member. DON'T...

Nikola One hydrogen range-extended electric truck to be unveiled tonight

Nikola One electric semi truckThe Nikola Motor Company is another vehicle manufacturer named after Nikola Tesla, but unlike a certain automaker in Silicon Valley, it plans to concentrate on electrified commercial vehicles. In May, Nikola (pronounced NEEK-oh-la) announced plans for a range-extended electric Class 8 commercial semi truck, and it will be shown to people outside...