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New battery-powered drivetrains enable trucks with a GVWR of 80,000 lbs to travel more than 400 miles

Florida-based li-ion battery maker Oakridge Global Energy Solutions recently confirmed a battery supply agreement with Freedom Trucking in Minnesota. In the announcement, Oakridge is making some impressive claims, especially that the battery-powered drivetrain will enable interstate trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVWR) of 80,000 pounds to travel more than 400 miles.

Battery-powered trucks not only reduce air and noise pollution, but they are also believed to be the next important step, alongside self-driving technology, in significantly reducing logistic costs associated with trucking.

The company is talking about nothing else than “completely revolutionizing the economics of the interstate trucking business in the USA”.

Oakridge Executive Chairman and CEO Steve Barber on the announcement:

“The custom battery design for Freedom Trucking is an absolute game changer. We are excited to be working with Freedom Trucking and their team on such a revolutionary product.  We at Oakridge are continuing our mission to onshore manufacturing back to the US and this is a really big win for all of us.  We are reducing carbon emissions, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and bringing manufacturing back to the US, while at the same time playing a pivotal role in revolutionizing the interstate trucking business.  This is a tremendous win for everyone in the USA.”

Freedom Trucking expects to save $0.60 per mile over traditional diesel trucks based on an analysis it ordered from the US Department of Transportation.

The propulsion system was developed over a 5-year period through a partnership between Freedom Trucking, “Ohio State University scientists and others”.

Freedom Trucking aims to first utilize on a daily basis the new electric drivetrain later this year to move cargo between Chicago and Minneapolis.

Oakridge battery manufacturing operations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnoljKU485c

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Comments

  1. Stephen Davies - 8 years ago

    foreign oil?
    I thought that the USA was now a net exporter of oil. With all that fracking going on they were exporting oil a while back.
    Perhaps a bit of marketing speak to embiggen his business?

    • MorinMoss - 8 years ago

      America now produces a bit over 9 million barrels daily but daily average consumption is about NINETEEN million barrels so not even close to being a net exporter.

    • How do people get so misinformed? We still consume way more than we produce.Most of the rest comes from Canada.

    • MorinMoss - 8 years ago

      Please read your links before suggesting them to us. All emphasis below is mine.

      Headline – U.S. Is Net Oil Exporter TO MEXICO,/b> for First Time in Two Decades
      Paragraph1, line 1 – The U.S. became a net oil exporter TO MEXICO
      Paragraph 3, line 1- The emergence of the U.S. as a net supplier
      TO MEXICO

      • MorinMoss - 8 years ago

        Gah, broken tag. Let’s try that again.
        Please read your links before suggesting them to us. All emphasis below is mine.

        Headline – U.S. Is Net Oil Exporter TO MEXICO for First Time in Two Decades
        Paragraph1, line 1 – The U.S. became a net oil exporter TO MEXICO
        Paragraph 3, line 1- The emergence of the U.S. as a net supplier TO MEXICO

  2. Kevin Wood - 8 years ago

    Is this a scam/pump? Cant find Freedom Trucking anywhere!

    • WalksOnDirt - 8 years ago

      There are no performance claims (as in kw/l) so the important point would be a reduction in cost. I’m dubious, though, because the factory in the video didn’t look automated enough.

  3. Nathanael - 8 years ago

    Well, remember, there’s an enormous amount of space on the underside of a big rig’s trailer. If this is intended for transporting shipping containers, it may be perfectly straightfoward to make a “trailer of batteries” to carry the container.

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