While the jury is still out regarding which zero-emission powertrain will ultimately replace long-haul, heavy-duty diesel-powered semis, what's become clear is that smaller, lighter yard and terminal tractors are going battery-electric.
Today at TMC in Nashville, Tennessee, Kalmar Ottawa, a longtime industry leader in terminal tractor manufacturing, has officially debuted its all-new OT2 EV Electric Terminal Tractor, designed and built in-house at Kalmar's Ottawa, Kansas factory.
Four different models are being offered, two of which have been specifically designed for container ports and terminals thanks to higher lifting capacities. The second pair are aimed at distribution applications, including an on-road version specifically for the North American market.
With 240 hours worth of extensive testing under its belt, the OT2 EV proved it can operate and charge in extreme temperatures, ranging from -22° Fahrenheit to 122° F. Kalmar adds that extreme climate charging performance testing was tested over a six-month period to validate real-world reliability.
In conversation with Clean Trucking, Eric Streich, manager of zero emission sales for Kalmar, stresses that "The single biggest challenge that the Class 8 [semi] is going to face today with electrification is having a charging infrastructure that can support it. But that is why electrification of a yard tractor makes a lot of sense. The yard tractor stays very close to home and, in some cases, may never leave the yard where it operates."
Three energy levels
Kalmar went with a modular approach when designing the OT2's battery and charging solutions for maximum customer flexibility. The vehicle can be fast charged in just one hour thanks to a 150kW charging speed with CCS1 connectors.
There are also three different lithium-ion battery capacities, each with a 6 year/2800 charge cycle warranty.
"We'll meet with the customer and do a site survey to determine where the charging station should be installed," Streich explains. "We'll then learn more about the customer's application and based off of that and what they tell us, this helps us determine which energy level and charger we need to offer them to meet their expectations."
To keep temperatures steady, the vehicle's thermal management system heats and/or cools the batteries. Additional features include push-button start and a user-friendly cabin with excellent visibility for better driver and pedestrian safety. The vehicle's high voltage lines have been encased and shielded for additional protection and durability.
"We designed the new EV terminal tractor around the [ICE] T2," Streich says. "The environment in the cab of the EV version is almost identical to the ICE version. HVAC, lighting, and controls to raise and lower the hydraulic boom are all in exactly the same spot."
Fleets: EV or ICE?
"For a fleet that might have 10, 12, 15, or 30 of these, it's unlikely most customers are going to replace their entire fleet at once and go from internal combustion to electric," Streich acknowledges. "Some are going to dip their toes in the water and prefer to test the EV. So, an operator might drive an internal combustion product in the morning and then, after lunch, that operator might jump into the electric version. The learning curve will be very small."
Customers will also benefit from over-the-air (OTA) updates for the tractor's advanced digital touchscreen.
"All of our electric tractors as well as as our diesel tractors come with Kalmar Insight, our proprietary telematics solution." Among other capabilities, the software enables drivers to monitor their energy consumption as well.
"Drivers can see significant events like a hard breaking or something of that nature," said Streich.
Zero noise and maintenance
With any commercial or passenger EV, the battery-powered motor(s) are nearly silent and don't smell like, well, diesel fumes.
"Because there's no tailpipe emissions, you don't hear any noise or feel vibrations [normally associated with diesels]. Drivers are less fatigued, both physically and mentally," Streich points out. "This is the tractor you know with the technology that you need. Customers will have access to energy consumption, utilization, hard braking, etc. They can get a lot of data on how both versions perform. Kalmar Insight, our proprietary telematics solution, can also help track maintenance schedules."
Maintenance is another benefit compared to the ICE version. EVs, simply put, are easier to maintain for lots of reasons, mainly due to a lack of fluids and filters, and fewer moving parts.
"The savings customers will see are not just in consumables but also in labor expenses. The maintenance schedule is every 250 to 500 hours, depending on the application."
OT2 EV sales officially start this week at TMC in Nashville, TN. Production will kick off shortly and deliveries will begin in Q2 of this year.
