• • • ELECTRIC VEHICLES • • •
Electric vehicle technology to keep on trucking
With the advancement of electric vehicles and the move to electrify heavier vehicles, such as trucks to reduce carbon emissions, Steve Hughes, managing director of REO UK, explains how we can keep electric truck technology on track
O
ne of the biggest considerations with electric trucks is their driving range. Due to being typically used for logistics and
haulage, trucks often drive for longer distances and have more impending deadlines to meet than regular vehicles. However, a historic lag in EV uptake has meant
that there is not currently adequate infrastructure for charging electric vehicles. Although this is a known problem that governments across the globe are working to address, it has created a pressing need for the technology of electric trucks to be efficient to extend the battery runtime for as long as possible. One of the main ways that electric trucks extend
battery energy is with regenerative braking. This involves recovering excess energy and feeding it back into other vehicle processes or systems, minimising losses and reducing the amount of power directly required from the battery. One study found that regenerative braking efficiency can
reach up to 70%, depending on the driver’s style of driving. Regenerative braking also reduces brake wear and tear, thus extending the life of vehicle components. The key to regenerative braking is to ensure that
the excess energy is looped back into the system safely. The resistors in the braking system protect the car from high voltage rises in the DC link, meaning that the excess energy will not overwhelm the system, but can be used productively. During braking, thermal energy is one of the
main excess energies produced and sources of losses. Making effective use of this in regenerative braking requires a braking resistor with good heat dissipation. The braking resistors offered by REO UK, for example, use water-cooling for increased heat dissipation, thus meaning that more energy can be reclaimed into processes such as heating. Braking resistors also have an important part to play in allowing electric trucks to brake safely.
For the electric truck to be able to have a safe stopping distance, braking resistors are needed, as excess braking could overload and potentially damage the system. Because of the increased torque needed the braking resistors required for an electric truck have to be able to manage a higher wattage than the ones needed in an electric car, such as the REO UK REOHM series 155, which offers a small footprint and large power capacity, ideal for larger vehicles. Choosing the right components for electric
trucks is essential, as without understanding how to maximise each component, electric trucks will fall by the wayside. The infrastructure needed for electric trucks is not yet mainstream, therefore to get electric trucks as a practical resource on the roads now, there needs to be a focus on the components that make up the electrical truck. The REO UK emobility document allows engineers to make sure that they are looking at the right components.
32 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • MARCH 2022
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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