According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, the transportation sector is responsible for 28% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and trucking alone accounts for a quarter of those emissions. While the freight industry has opposed the Biden administration’s costly, unworkable regulations to reduce emissions from heavy-duty trucks, innovators are finding ways to clean up the nation’s existing fleet cost-effectively. 

One such solution, developed by California-based Range Energy, involves equipping commercial trucks with an electric-powered trailer system (ePTS). The hybrid approach is compatible with traditional dry vans or reefer trailers (the big storage box attached to the semi-truck) while circumventing the significant cost investment, infrastructure requirements, and operational limitations associated with adopting a fully electric fleet.

Range RA-01, the company’s 53-foot powered trailer, improves energy efficiency by up to 70% and cuts fuel costs by as much as 40%. The electric propulsion system includes an e-axle, a 200 kWh battery pack, and a smart kingpin. 

Range says its trailers are easy to connect to any tow vehicle and compatible with all tractors and drivetrains. The company has not yet finalized pricing for its trailers, but Range Energy CEO Ali Javidan estimates they will range from $150,000 to $180,000, depending on the fleet and application. While that is a significant investment and one that should be made without the force of regulatory pressure, the energy savings could eventually make a good deal for the fuel-conscious industry.

“We’ve reached a turning point in freight transportation. Fleets are looking at ways to reduce emissions without negatively impacting operations. At Range, it is our goal to help our commercial partners – and all freight carriers – during this critical transition, and to do so expediently,” Javidan said in a press release. “The RA Series is our answer. With a unique, practical solution that can quickly be deployed at scale, Range is providing commercial fleets the ability to immediately reduce emissions and costs, while avoiding any disruption to their operations.”

In July 2023, RA-01 became the first trailer electrification platform eligible for California’s Clear Off-Road Equipment (CORE) Voucher Incentive Project. According to Javidan, customers purchasing Range’s refrigerated trailers may qualify for a rebate of up to $120,000 through CORE, while the non-refrigerated version offers a rebate of up to $80,000.

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In February, Range announced $23.5 million in new funding to speed up its customer pilot programs and move closer to full-scale production of its electric trailers. The investment round was led by Trousdale Ventures, with additional contributions from UP. Partners, R7, and Yamaha Motor Ventures. 

The hardware firm says its total funding is now $31.5 million. 

A significant factor currently standing in the way of full-fleet electrification and rapid decarbonization in the transportation sector is the significant cost hurdle of transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs). A report released last year by the Clean Freight Coalition found that building the charging infrastructure needed to electrify the nation’s trucking fleet could cost upwards of $1 trillion. While another report suggests those numbers may be inflated, the high upfront cost of electric semis (which cost $150,000 to $250,000 more than their diesel counterparts) remains a significant impediment to the transportation and logistics industry’s decarbonization efforts.

By providing the heavy-duty truck market with a scalable and cost-effective solution for fleet decarbonization, Range Energy empowers transportation companies to achieve emissions targets without crippling their bottom line so they can continue to deliver the products that Americans need every day. 

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.