In 2019, internal combustion engine (ICE) tractor units market sold over 530,000 units, +25% YoY. With the whole auto market going down, you could say that tractor units are doing just fine.
But strong performance by internal combustion engine tractor units did not bring the sales of electric counterparts up at all. 2019 license plate data shows that electric tractor units registered just 70 units. The future looks pretty gloomy for them it seems.
Electric tractor units market
New energy vehicles have been developing for years now, but electric tractor units never really caught up. As I see it, the reasons for that are:
1. Price is too high. Decreasing subsidies left N3 heavy trucks with only RMB 50,000 purchase subsidy, which for an over one million Renminbi vehicle is a drop in a bucket.
2. Range too short, technology not mature. ICE tractor units mostly drive long-distance routes, just on one ride they usually cross more than 1,000 km. Electric tractor units even with 300–400 kWh battery can only cross 200 km, which makes their use limited. Even if they are used in harbors as container tractor unit, where there are no long distance routes, there is still 24 hour operation involved and that is something electric tractor units cannot handle.
3. Too heavy. Its 300–400 kWh battery might reach up to two tons, which makes the truck a lot heavier compared to its ICE twin. And nowadays the tolls are collected based on weight. If the vehicle is heavy, it cannot carry a lot of goods, which for a cargo company owner means - losses.
4. Charging infrastructure not developed. The biggest issue in using electric tractor units is charging, which is far from convenient. To a cargo company that lives off efficiency, having to spend time looking around for a pile is a nightmare. Needless to say, this also keeps transport companies from buying electric tractor units.
Although there are many companies with electric tractor unit products, none of them managed to make a large scale business out of it. Following, we will see which companies are making electric tractor units.
Electric tractor unit products
Hualing Xingma
Hualing Xingma is pretty active in development of electric tractor units and it is a company with the most tractor unit models. Hualing offers 6x4 and 4x2 tractor units:
(1) 6x4 electric tractor units.
Battery capacity: 249.7kWh, 281.92kWh, 322kWh,350kWh.
Battery pack: CATL, LFP, placed behind the driver’s cabin.
Range: 200–250 km.
Dimensions: 7,390×2,550×3,835 mm
Wheelbase: 800+1350 mm
Motor: PMSM with rate power at 250 kW, peak power at 360 kW, torque 1,600 Nm, peak torque 2,800 Nm.
(2) 4x2 tractor units.
Battery capacity: 281.92kWh, 258.04kWh
Dimensiosn: 6,720×2,550×3,800 mm
Wheelbase: 4,200 mm
Motor: PMSM with rate power at 120 kW, peak power at 200 kW and torque at 1,700 Nm
Hualing Xingma uses battery swapping as a sales point. It partnered with several Chinese companies and developed world’s first battery swapping heavy truck and delivered 30 of these units to a Beijing company for the transport of gravel aggregate.
Battery swapping, as a new business model, became important part of Hualing’s research in new energy vehicles.
Based on Hualing Xingma introduction, the company sold over 160 units last year and has won an order of over 130 tractor units in March this year. Its battery swapping model is certainly something that new energy truck companies could learn from.
2. BYD
BYD, as an EV industry leader, also has 6x4 and 4x2 electric tractor units. Although it started with developments pretty early, it never managed to get the volume. Compared to its dump trucks, tractor units still have a long way to go.
6x4 electric tractor unit.
Battery capacity: 348 kWh
Battery pack: BYD, LFP, 130.8Wh/kg, placed behind the driver’s cabin.
Range: 200 km
Dimensions: 7,395×2,520×3,080 mm
Wheelbase: 3,800+1,350mm.
Motor: PMSM, rated power: 115 kW, peak power 140 kW, rated torque: 400 Nm2, peak torque: 550 Nm2.
4x2 electric tractor unit
Battery capacity: 217kWh
Battery pack: BYD, LFP, 130.8Wh/kg
Dimensions: 6,720×2,550×3,800 mm
Wheelbase: 3,550mm
Motor: PMSM, rated power: 150 kW, peak power: 180 kW, rated torque: 750 Nm, peak torque: 1,500 Nm
3. Sinotruk
Sinotruk has one 6x4 model.
Battery capacity: 374.65kWh.
Battery pack: CATL, LFP, 141.5Wh/kg
DImensions: 7,480×2,550×3,635 mm
Wheelbase: 3,825+1350mm
Motor: PMSM, peak power: 350 kW, peak torque: 3,500Nm
Generally speaking, electric tractor units by all big companies are essentially built on ICE models — not exactly innovative. In future, Tesla’s tractor units will become strong competitors to Chinese counterparts.
The way out
I think that although tractor units are currently faced with a lot of obstacles, charging infrastructure development, constant progress in EV technology and the effect of electric tractor units on emission reduction and energy saving as well as whole-life cost advantages make future bright for electric tractor units.
In future, electric tractor units shall be used in ever more scenarios:
Container transport in harbors. Container transport in harbors involves 24 hour constant transport with 20 and 40 feet containers.
Container transport in harbors is actually quite suitable for electric tractor unit operation and range. First, container transport rarely sees overload, which means that electric tractor unit can deal with it easily. Second, based on harbor regulations, driving speed is kept at 30 km/h and at low speeds electric tractor units are very energy saving compared to ICE ones, which consume a lot of energy in these conditions. Third, daily covered distance is not big and harbors are closed off areas, so building charging infrastructure should not be that hard and charging should not be an issue. At the same time, OEMs can make custom made designs based on harbor operative needs as to make the most suitable solution that will achieve optimal whole-life cost.
Short-haul, inter-city transport. The distance between many harbors in Yang’tze and Pearl River Delta, and Fujian is usually below 200 km and most of it are light industrial goods, which are very suitable for electric tractor units. However, charging piles along the roads are a huge challenge, and the local governments will need to work on that.
Short-haul transport of coal, iron powder, steel and gravel. Government advocating for more use of rail instead of road transport, might be life threatening for tractor units on long-haul routes. Especially in Hebei, Shandong and other coal and steel regions. After the transport moves to rail, the transport between coal mine and railroad will require tractor units for short-haul transport and electric tractor units are quite suitable for this task.
Autonomous driving. Sinotruk, SAIC Hongyan and many other established heavy truck brands see the future for autonomous driving in harbors and have started to develop corresponding products. As the economy recovers from epidemic, autonomous driving in harbors might become the new battle ground for VCs.
Battery swapping trucks. Hualing Xingma’s battery swapping trucks made the industry realize that this is a very good promotional model, so let’s hope that Hualing’s model can succeed and that it becomes industry’s pioneer.
Original article: http://www.evpartner.com/news/215/detail-51738.html
Translation/edit: MoneyballR
