Who’s Afraid Of Electric Trucks? Not Ohio, Indiana, California, Michigan…

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EV sales plummeted in the US after President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress successfully killed off key federal tax credits last year, sending the vehicle electrification movement into a tailspin. Nevertheless, signs of a rebirth continue to emerge, with one area of interest involving electric trucks.

1. Ohio Tests Autonomous Electric Trucks

Ohio is prepping for the electrified future of mobility by putting autonomous electric trucks from the Swedish firm Einride through their paces. Under the state’s DriveOhio Truck Automation Corridor Project, Einride’s SAE Level 4 (L4) self-driving trucks will undergo a proof-of-concept run in partnership with the firm Ease Logistics.

“Starting this summer, the trucks will transport goods between EASE warehouses, generating data on impacts to warehousing, distribution, and transportation operations,” EASE explains. The project also involves a partnership with the Indiana Department of Transportation.

“The vehicles are self-driving cab-less electric trucks that operate without a driver. They are capable of navigating routes autonomously, handling everything from routine driving to unexpected situations,” EASE elaborates, adding that the trucks are monitored remotely by live operators who can lend an assist if needed. The trucks are expected to begin rolling this summer.

The Truck Automation Corridor is a 166-mile stretch of Interstate 70 between Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana. EASE is also testing autonomous truck platooning on the road.

2. California Has EV Rebates Up Its Sleeve

On May 13 California announced that its new “California Clean Fuel Rewards” rebate program for medium- and heavy-duty trucks will be up and running on June 26. The $1 billion program is funded by revenue from the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, with an initial target of $250 million this year.

“By returning revenue from the Low Carbon Fuel Standard directly to truck buyers at time of purchase, we’re making zero‑emission trucks the better choice for fleets and delivering cleaner air along freight corridors where it’s needed most,” emphasized California Air Resources Board Chair Lauren Sanchez.

Both private and public fleets are eligible for rebates ranging from $7,500 to $120,000. All fleets can apply the rebates to drayage trucks, electric semis, box trucks, and delivery vans among other medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. In addition, public fleets can apply the rebates to Class 2b vehicles. The 2b classification includes full sized SUVS and pickup trucks, work trucks, and delivery vans that do not require a commercial driver’s license to operate.

3. Michigan Puts Its Money On Electric Pickup Trucks

Turning now to the lighter end of the electric truck spectrum, the State of Michigan has just provided the startup Slate Auto with a $5 million seal of approval for its forthcoming Class 2a electric pickup truck.

Awarded through the Michigan Business Development Program, the $5 million, matching performance-based grant is earmarked for the expansion of Slate’s headquarters in the City of Troy.

“With a capital investment of $10.4 million, Slate’s expansion will create at least 392 qualified new jobs, including good-paying corporate, engineering, and design positions over the next five years,” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Strategic Fund announced on May 19.

“This growth is part of the company’s broader effort to strengthen domestic innovation and manufacturing capabilities, with a focus on sustainable product research and development,” they added, adding that Slate has 150,000 reservations on hand for its stripped-down pickup truck.

If all goes according to plan, Slate — which is backed by Amazon tycoon and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos — will begin deliveries before the end of this year and ramp into volume production next year (see lots more background on the Slate electric pickup truck here).

4. Seaports Are Electrifying

Activity is also stirring in the off-road electric work vehicle field, particularly among stakeholders in the seaport logistics field. In the latest development, on May 20 the leading EV charging firm Kempower and the global container terminal firm APM Terminals announced an agreement to install Kempower’s DC fast-charging stations at APM operations around the world.

“The agreement supports APM Terminals’ roadmap to decarbonise operations via the use of battery-electric container handling equipment and use of renewable energy,” APM explained.

Three pilot projects are already under way in Mexico, Morocco, and Peru, with others to come over the next three years. The company also operates five terminals in the US including one in Elizabeth, New Jersey, which is already on the move. In June of 2024, APM Terminals Elizabeth reported that it ditched seven diesel-powered terminal tractors and replaced them with electric tractors. The electrification program included the installation of wireless EV charging stations by the firm InductEV, which is also installing the technology at the Port of Long Beach in California.

The $5 million project was partly funded by a $1.4 million Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Such grants have been rare as hen’s teeth since Trump returned to office last year, but the electrification cat is already out of the bag. APM has committed to net zero emissions by 2040 at its operations globally, presumably including all five of its US locations.

“Electrification is central to our pathway towards net zero by 2040, particularly as we transition diesel powered terminal equipment to electric alternatives,” emphasized APM’s Global Head of Asset Category Management, Grant Morrison in a press statement.

5. Every Vehicle Can Help Electrify, Electric Or Not

Another twist in the electrification saga is kinetic energy harvesting, in which in-road systems that resemble high tech speed bumps are deployed to capture the movement of passing vehicles and convert it to electricity. While the systems are powertrain agnostic, they add another layer of zero emission sustainability when electric vehicles are the ones creating the motion.

There being no such thing as a free lunch, widespread commercial application has proved elusive. That is about to change. On May 22 the Austrian startup REPS announced a new round of $23.6 million in financing, earmarked for scaling its eponymous “Road Energy Production System.”

“The technology is particularly effective where vehicles naturally slow down or brake, or where slopes create additional force,” the company explains. “REPS is initially targeting ports, logistics hubs, cities, industrial sites, and other high-traffic infrastructure operators that want to reduce energy costs while improving sustainability.”

According to REPS, the system is far more efficient than other systems currently on the market — 254 times more, to be exact. That seems rather ambitious but the company notes that its first commercial system has been up and running at the Port of Hamburg for about six months, logging more than 6,700 kilowatt-hours of electricity from the passage of more than 115,000 trucks to date.

Apparently that was enough to convince other stakeholders. “Following the launch, the company is engaged with over 90 parties from the port industry alone, spanning Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America,” the company asserts, adding that it has also attracted interest from logistics hubs and cities.

No word yet on whether or not the North American interest includes any operations in the US, but stay tuned for more on that. Researchers at Purdue University in Indiana are among those chasing the speed bump energy harvesting vision.

Photo: Cabless, driverless, autonomous electric trucks from the Swedish EV firm Einride will be rolling down I-70 between Ohio and Indiana this summer (cropped, courtesy of Einride).