Page 42 - ATR 3 2022 digital

ATRI Study: Actually, Electric

Trucks Not ‘Zero Emission’

New research reveals today’s electric vehicles bring
a lot more challenges for only a little less carbon

By Steve Brawner
Contributing Writer

There’s no such thing as a zero-
emission truck. In fact, electric
trucks only reduce carbon dioxide
emissions by 30% over diesel once the
amounts produced during the truck
manufacturing and disposal processes
are included.
Meanwhile, expanded use of pure
biodiesel and renewable diesel would
result in larger near-term emissions
reductions and wouldn’t require such
radical changes in carriers’ business
models. truck into account — including truck ATRI projected that the production
Those were some of the findings production, electricity production, and of battery electric trucks would
of a new report released in May by the disposal and recycling — battery electric produce 2.065 million pounds of
American Transportation Research vehicles would reduce carbon dioxide carbon dioxide over the lifetime of the
Institute titled, “Understanding the emissions by only 30% compared vehicle. That’s caused in part by the fact
CO2 Impacts of Zero-Emission Trucks.” to diesel trucks. Fuel cell electric that two batteries, the original and a
vehicles, which power the truck using replacement, would be required to travel
LIFE CYCLE OF AN ELECTRIC hydrogen stored onboard in large tanks 1 million miles. Almost as much carbon
TRUCK FROM MINERAL MINE TO to produce electricity, would reduce dioxide — 1.932 million pounds — would
RECYCLING PLANT emissions by 44.6%. be emitted in the production of a fuel
Neither electric nor hydrogen fuel Over the truck’s entire life cycle, cell electric vehicle. Those numbers
cell electric trucks emit carbon dioxide diesel trucks produce an average of would be roughly four times the 511,655
from the tailpipe, which is why they are 3.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide. pounds emitted during the production
called “zero-emission trucks,” or ZETs. Battery electric vehicles would produce of a diesel truck
In contrast, the average diesel Class 8 2.594 million pounds. Hydrogen fuel Another 48,255 pounds of
sleeper cab emits more than 3.1 million cell vehicles would produce 2.051 greenhouse gases would be emitted
pounds over 1 million miles. That’s million pounds. when lithium-ion batteries are recycled.
what the report assumed was the usable Emissions of greenhouse gases Mining for raw materials
life of a truck. such as carbon dioxide trap heat in the causes much of the emissions in the
But ATRI found that, when taking atmosphere, resulting in changes to the production of electric trucks, and also
the entire life-cycle of an electric climate. has other downsides. Lithium-ion

42 Issue 3 2022 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT