One of the biggest drawbacks to electric semi-trucks is the burden of recharging them. Specifically, large battery cells can take over 6-hours to fully recharge. This makes most electrical semi truck models not a practical option in trucking, especially for long-haul and OTR.
In an effort to address this issue, Hyliion’s Hypertruck ERX, a rival for Tesla’s truck, has developed a system that recharges their own large battery in just 8 minutes.
What is the Hypertruck ERX?
Founded in 2015, Hyliion develops electric and hybrid sources of power for tractors. Thomas Healy, founder of Hyliion, has the new goal of launching a new $220,000 electric truck equipped with these impressive power packs. To truly appreciate the accomplishment of Hyliion’s new electric semi truck is, let’s compare it to a Tesla.
Base price for a 300-mile range Tesla Semi is $150,000, and $180,000 for a 500-mile rig. Both of these models recharge in under 30 minutes. At face value, these semi trucks appear to be fairly advanced, especially when you factor in the haul poundage.
But as we mentioned above we are using these specs as a baseline to showcase how awesome the new Hypertruck ERXs are. So, without further ado, here are the mileage and recharge time of a base model Hyliion semi truck
- 1,300 miles per charge
- Recharge time is under 10 minutes on average
One thing truck drivers know for sure is that time is money. Time means more time on the road, and that means more money in the paycheck. So 1,300 miles with only an 8-minute charge is something to pay attention to.
How’d Hyliion Do It?
Hyliion developed a unique internal recharge system that utilizes natural gas. This process includes an onboard generator that refuels the batteries. Natural gas goes into the generator, where electricity is created and fed to the engine.
By streamlining this recharge process, Hyliion has been able to reduce the recharge time down to just 8 minutes. Which is impressive considering the size of the battery packs. To house the engine and energy capsule, Hyliion teamed up with Peterbilt.
When asked about the decision, Healy said “It’s a faster way to get to market that fleets already know and love as opposed to us trying to revolutionize a brand new chassis.”
The new electric semi trucks are set to hit the roads this year as demos before being distributed commercially next year. In a statement issued by Healy, “Later year this year, we are going to start delivering demo trucks to fleets and then next year, starting commercialization”.
With more mileage for the truck driver, the Hypertruck ERX appears to be in a league of its own.