Many commercial truck electrification headlines today touch on struggles fleets are experiencing fully transitioning away from internal combustion engines.
However, Revoy is addressing these problems with a solution that rapidly turns diesel trucks into hybrids.
Revoy’s EV is a straightforward add-on for Class 8 truck fleets, enabling electrification via a tandem trailer fitting between a conventional semi-truck and a trailer.
This forward-thinking tandem trailer functions using batteries and an electric drive axle. A tractor’s 5th wheel connects with Revoy’s hitch, while the trailer that the semi’s hauling attaches to Revoy’s 5th wheel.
Conventional diesel trucks average between 6 to 8 mpg. With the Revoy solutions, these same diesel trucks can reach 35 mpg with a 235-mile range using a 525kWh LFP battery pack — signaling a 70 to 90 percent reduction in fuel emissions.
At shorter ranges, such as 150 miles, mpg can reach up to 70 with a 6 to 8 mpg truck. An 800kWh long-range version of its battery pack will be released in May 2024.
This drastic mileage improvement translates to fleet companies saving thousands of dollars per truck annually in fuel costs, including Revoy fees.
Ian Rust, CEO of Revoy, said: “EV tractors are more expensive to purchase and recharge compared to diesel, and no driver can spare the time to stop and charge for hours.
“Luxury passenger vehicles are not engineered to generate ROI and depreciate quickly. Making commercial vehicles the same way poses a risk to any fleet that adopts them.
“Revoy has engineered an electric commercial vehicle that is built as an asset first. The entire vehicle is swappable in under five minutes, so no waiting on a charge, and can operate on any trucker’s existing vehicle with no modifications,” American Journal of Transportation reports.
The Revoy CEO added that 64 percent of trucks on the road today meeting gross vehicle weight regulations can use his company’s product.
Revoy EVs charge at swapping stations, with one currently in Texas and another in Arkansas. The company plans on adding eight to ten more swapping stations in California and Oregon by this year’s end.
A Revoy swap “recharges” a truck almost instantly through a station attendant, allowing drivers to relax in their vehicle or inside a shop. The process takes less than five minutes on average, representing a 90 percent reduction in charging time compared with traditional EVs.
Fleets can immediately collect extra savings by sharing Revoy EVs through a subscription tier.
Revoy EVs also:
- Gives you options to run diesel or electric
- Because trucks using Revoy can revert back to just their usual truck by dropping the Revoy EV, the diesel truck can still haul every load it encounters, with Revoy “hopping on” when the extra battery weight is permissible, and hopping off when it’s not.
- Comply with length laws
- Contain intelligent auto-correction preventing hazards like rollovers, flipping, and jackknifing
- Feature an extra brake set for additional stopping power down steep grades like mountains
Rust and Revoy have built four vehicles in this fifth iteration of its add-on and traveled 18,000 miles for research and development. Product assembly takes five months from the first purchase order to delivery.
The Revoy CEO has over 12 years of clean transportation and sustainability work experience via time spent as a mechanical engineer and innovator. His team features over 100 years of experience in this field from companies like Tesla, General Motors, Waymo, and more.
If you’re interested in seeing the Revoy in action, come by the 2024 Trucking with Clean Conference at the Port of Stockton on Feb 29th. Fleet managers and owner/operators can attend for free.
