Electric Big Rigs Hit the Streets, but Chargers Are Scarce

Wall Street Journal – Heavy-duty electric trucks are rolling out across the country. The electric grid upgrades and equipment needed to plug them in aren’t. As automakers deliver new electric trucks to fleet customers, parking lots that once needed enough power for a few floodlights now might need to draw as much power as a skyscraper. But the necessary grid improvements could take years.

In January, California utility PG&E told charging provider FreeWire Technologies that one of its large fleet customers wouldn’t be able to charge trucks for a few years during summer afternoons when California electricity use peaks. The company would be unrestricted during cooler months, according to an email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Capacity upgrades would take at least until 2026, PG&E told FreeWire, which is installing chargers paired with batteries for that customer and others to avoid the wait.