Battery electric commercial vehicle pricing in the United States
The cost of energizing medium- and heavy-duty truck charging facilities in the United States
Electric utilities and their regulators in areas with high electricity rates face tension between being obligated to support decarbonization and electrification objectives but also keep rates affordable for consumers. These competing objectives create an information gap and can slow down decision-making for regulators, utilities, and businesses.
In this brief, the ICCT partnered with Black and Veatch to create three medium- and heavy-duty (MHDV) charging facility prototypes of different sizes to assess the front-of-the-meter and behind-the-meter costs of constructing the facilities and upgrading grid infrastructure. The brief also discusses cost-saving options for customers and utilities in both project design and site selection.
The brief finds that the estimated total cost of a small depot charging facility prototype is $7.9 million, a medium charging facility is $15.4 million, and a large prototype has a total cost of $15 million. In all three prototypes, FTM costs are predictable between $2.5 million and $2.9 million and at most account for 31.2% of the total project budget. The variation in cost primarily come from behind-the-meter investments.
Table. Unit behind-the-meter (BTM) costs for prototypes in this brief
Other findings:
- Obtaining and installing charging equipment is the biggest expense in behind-the-meter costs, but these prices will likely decrease as technology advances.
- The location of the facility is a factor in price variance.
- Faster chargers are more cost-effective per MW but they create bigger electric loads and may require more expensive grid upgrades.
To reduce costs, stakeholders could:
- Improve coordination between utilities and developers in site planning
- Use grid capacity maps to choose optimal locations for charging facilities
- Consider managed charging and on-site battery/solar systems to reduce load on the grid
- Use modular, prefabricated equipment to reduce installation time and costs