Originally posted by tim60 If the electric range matches the compulsory rest breaks for drivers the battery change process would work as non punitive enforcement of rest breaks. Road safety benefits for all.
Big truck companies can arrange to change prime movers with fresh drivers for urgent loads while the driver rests and the battery is charged.
There's a large disconnect between mandated rest times and what would be needed to make electric trucks work. For instance: While a typical electric truck will need re-charging every 200 miles the current requirements for rest breaks (here) is 30 minutes after 5.5 hours of driving. That would equate to somewhere between 350 and 500 miles of distance. Factor in the minimum 90 minute stop to charge the electric truck, after max. 200 miles and you can see how the economies simply does not stack up.
Drivers can work a max of 13 hours after which they must take a break of min. 10 hours. and after 70 hours of accumulated work time drivers need 24 hours rest. Even with those rest times, there's a large difference in operational time and standing time between the two technologies.
At the moment, it can work for depot to end user type work but electric simply cannot work for long distance haulage for the reasons stated earlier. Or put another way, not unless we want to see freight prices triple.