Making the case for battery-electric fleet power

Battery systems edge closer to a tipping point as commercial and heavy-duty fleets broaden their application.

Battery-electric power is drawing more and more applications to commercial and heavy-duty fleets as the zero-emission technology edges closer to a tipping point. “We're not at critical mass in any market yet with battery-electric,” said Rick Herndon, Chief Executive Officer of Voltabox of Texas Inc., a manufacturer of Li-ion battery systems.

One market undergoing dramatic change is commuter buses. “All the big players recognize they have to have electric, especially for municipal applications,” he said. Herndon and other technology experts spoke with Truck & Off-Highway Engineering during The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology conferences in Novi, MI.