In it for the long haul: These clean energy trucks are driving toward zero emissions

by Kurt Schlosser on August 23, 2023 at 7:30 amAugust 23, 2023 at 10:10 am

From a Tacoma, Wash., parking lot on Tuesday, the constant roar of big trucks could be heard passing on the nearby freeway. But in the lot itself, the sound was delightfully less noisy, as electric trucks and other alternative energy vehicles whisked in and out during the Green Transportation Summit and Expo.

It’s one thing to be snuck up on by a Tesla at the grocery store, but it’s still rather surprising to have a large Kenworth or Freightliner or Volvo truck move past whisper quiet. It made it easy to hear the event’s director, Brian Trice, express his enthusiasm for what’s here and what’s coming in sustainable transportation.

“The fact that we’re here now and you can actually witness these vehicles, that’s a big deal,” Trice said. “Five years ago, these things were just kind of test models.”

Transportation is the leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Washington, according to the state’s Department of Ecology, which will require truck manufacturers to sell and register an increasing percentage of new, zero-emission alternatives to diesel, starting with model year 2025.

The three-day expo, which runs through Thursday, featured a ride-and-drive event on Tuesday, where attendees could get behind the wheel or into the passenger seat of more than two dozen vehicles. The lot behind the LeMay-America’s Car Museum featured everything from box trucks and flatbeds to steamrollers, excavators, street sweepers and more.

‘The fact that we’re here now and you can actually witness these vehicles, that’s a big deal.’

Charlie Vogelheim has more than 35 years of automotive industry experience, including as executive editor at both Kelley Blue Book and Motor Trend Auto Group. While taking in the event — now in its 12th year — he was struck by what it all means for cities looking to reach zero-carbon goals.

Waiting for necessary charging infrastructure to arrive along U.S. highways could slow adoption of zero-emission trucks, much as it has with cars. But Vogelheim said municipalities have the advantage of being able to take care of that infrastructure for vehicles in their own fleets that have set routes and can charge at dedicated spots each night.

“They can put some of these vehicles in play and really be a testbed,” he said of green-minded cities.

GeekWire got a closer look at several vehicles and took a test drive on Tuesday. Keep reading for insights.

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