MASSIVE savings on energy and transportation costs can be achieved when a change is made from internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks to battery-electric trucks.
That’s according to AEVERSA (Applied Electric Vehicle Energy Reticulation Systems Africa) CEO Rick Franz.
AEVERSA took delivery of one of South Africa’s first electric trucks — the JAC N55 EV — in June 2021, and has been testing its usability in Gauteng.
AEVERSA installed infrastructure, including a DC Fast Charging station, solar panels and monitoring software at a sister company, while the truck was fitted with a customised flat load bed.
Within weeks, the N55 EV was in daily use in an existing transport fleet, travelling thousands of kilometres each week, collecting and delivering pallets across Gauteng. AEVERSA was able to gather valuable information about the truck’s operating cost efficiencies.
“Although we knew that battery-electric trucks are energy efficient, we were astounded by the savings on energy and transportation costs, as we could directly compare the N55 EV’s performance to the ICE trucks in our transport fleet,” says Franz.
Electric vehicle are an economical solution for transport operators
The benefits of transitioning conventional ICE fleets into battery-electric fleets have been demonstrated to a diverse group of transport operators. A leading bakery group recently took delivery of its first N55 EV and is testing and comparing its performance with conventional ICE trucks in its fleet.
A powerful 96.77 kWh capacity LFP battery powers the bakery’s new N55 EV. When a standard European CCS2-Combo connection is used, the battery recharges to 80 percent capacity in only one hour and 100 percent in one-and-a-half hours. It reaches 200km to 240 km per charge when 20 percent State of Charge (SoC) is treated as empty.
“The N55 EV is an emission-free truck suitable for a range of last-mile delivery operations. It provides a reliable, economical and safe solution to transport operators. Compared to conventional ICE trucks, the N55 EV has a 70 percent lower maintenance cost and achieves a 40 to 60 percent lower fuel/energy cost when charged from our ecosystem infrastructure,” adds Franz.
Traditional vehicles will become an additional burden on companies
AEVERSA will take delivery of an EV panel van and a motorbike, which will be used in existing fleet operations to collect comparative data.
“We believe that the cost of fuel and the increased maintenance cost of traditional ICE vehicles will become an additional burden on companies soon. Unstable global trade and the inevitable rise in fossil fuel prices will further increase transport costs, making AEVERSA’s product solutions particularly relevant in modern-day transport,” concludes Franz.
