Electric vehicles (EV) in the US have been growing in popularity for over a decade. Tesla began production of its Roadster sports car in 2008 and followed that with various other models in the ensuing years.  Tesla and others have also developed first generation electric pickups and semi-trucks and vans. But power requirements for passenger vehicles and vans are vastly different than for work trucks – especially if those work trucks are outfitted with cranes and generators and hoists, etc. A delivery van or lightweight transit vehicle may be able to operate well with the current generation of battery and EV technology available, since very few power-hungry accessories are included as standard equipment. This is not true for most commercial work trucks. 

States Begin to Push the Panic Button

Dissatisfied with the speed in which carbon-emission free power sources have been adopted for vehicles in their state and frustrated as well with rising pollution levels, some states are enacting laws to accelerate the transition. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) enacts and enforces air quality regulations in the Golden State. According to their research, trucks account for a disproportionate amount of pollution in that state – especially diesel-powered trucks. Tired of waiting for the free market and technology to solve this problem, CARB set January 31, 2024, as the start date for a set of statewide restrictions aimed at curbing and eventually eliminating the use of diesel-powered work trucks sold and driven there and encouraging the purchase of EV work trucks.

Some long-time industry experts do not believe the timetable for this switch has been thought through completely.

“I have always been a big believer that commercial truck buyers know what is best for their fleet in the long term, and they vote with their pocketbook, “states Mike Scelzi, founder and owner of California-based Scelzi Enterprises. “These are businesspeople who want a sustainable solution to provide long term services to their customers. They don’t make too many decisions on pure emotion, but on rational supply and demand thinking. Few of them think the technology and infrastructure is ready to support this sudden change. Beyond just the number of charging stations needed to support work trucks across the state, there is the limited power available within this current generation of batteries themselves. It is just not there yet. It’s like trying to power the lights and appliances in your kitchen with a pair of rechargeable D-sized flashlight batteries. The refrigerator will really struggle to keep food cold, but when it’s time to use the microwave or the toaster you will really be disappointed with the results. Somewhere you are going to have to access additional power sources. So how does a hydraulic dump truck empty its load or that portable generator on a service truck maintain power on a remote job site for several hours? It won’t be with just the battery that came with the chassis cab. We could see a lot of trucks stranded at remote job sites waiting for a charge to finish the job. Scelzi may need to develop a new type of work truck – the California Battery Truck.”

Other States Watching California

In addition to California’s drive to switch more quickly to EV trucks than market forces would usually dictate, at least 10 other states are considering similar legislation. But most seem a bit more concerned about some of the unanswered questions than California is. For Scelzi and other work truck upfitters operating there, this will be a year of transition. “It certainly has an effect on our long-term manufacturing plans,” Scelzi adds, “and our Engineering team has had to be a bit more creative than usual, adapting quickly to a new EV power interface. We are very proud of how we have weathered the big storms which have affected our industry in recent years: the COVID fears, the microchip shortage, supply chain breakdowns, and just the challenge of filling and maintaining a great work team. But now to face a man-made, artificially created restriction like this one! That makes it a little harder to accept. But this is the government we are dealing with, and like the old joke says, I am sure they are just here to help us.”

As Scelzi begins their 45th year building Premium Work Truck Bodies for Ford and other chassis cab manufacturers, help from anyone is always appreciated.