The electric vehicle (EV) narrative has been gaining momentum, with proponents touting a cleaner, greener future. However, it only took two minutes for a Canadian trucker to dismantle this narrative, as seen in a video posted on X. The trucker, who works for Edison Motors, explained why he doesn’t see himself transitioning to a fully electric vehicle anytime soon.
When asked if he could see himself going 100% EV, the trucker replied with a resounding “no.” He pointed out that in order for electric trucks to be feasible for everyday use, battery technology and grid infrastructure would need to improve drastically. This is because a logging truck, for example, consumes about two-and-a-half megawatts of power each day. With current battery technology, a truck would need a three-megawatt battery pack to run for a full day. This would equate to packing 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of batteries, a weight that is simply not practical for most applications.
The trucker then highlighted the limitations of the current grid infrastructure, stating that it has not been significantly improved since the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. He used the logging industry in British Columbia as an example, where there are approximately 5,000 logging trucks utilizing 12.5 gigawatts of power each day. To put this into perspective, the Site C Dam, which cost $20 billion and took 15 years to build, has a capacity of only 1.1 gigawatts. In order to produce the necessary power for electric trucks, an area of land the size of Wales would need to be flooded to create a hydropower system.
The trucker emphasized the need for efficiency and practicality when it comes to reducing emissions. He explained that investing everything into fully electric technology, which may not work for 90% of applications, while the other 10% continue to burn diesel at 100%, does not make sense.
He suggested that a more effective solution would be to focus on hybrid vehicles that can reduce fuel consumption by 50-60%, and use the remaining diesel as a generator. He argued that this approach would have a greater impact on emissions reduction compared to investing in fully electric vehicles that may not be suitable for many industries.
Edison trucks are doing the work. Yes, it's hybrid & not without limitations, BUT he makes very valid points that few in the EV crowd won't address.
Great job @EdisonMotorsLtd ! pic.twitter.com/VO7LU3h8XD— Red Scarf Müsik (@MusicScarf) October 30, 2023
The trucker’s two-minute explanation dismantles the narrative surrounding the green energy movement. He highlights the limitations of current technology and infrastructure, and emphasizes the need for practical solutions rather than investing everything into a single technology.