Range Energy to partner with ESL Power Systems on charging solutions for eTrailers
According to Range Energy, the partnership highlights the opportunity to leverage existing shore power infrastructure and affordable charging hardware to support the transition of commercial trucking fleets to electric and hybrid-electric operations.
Range Energy has recently announced a partnership with ESL Power Systems, a manufacturer of safe and reliable charging solutions, to provide affordable, practical, and scalable charging solutions for Range’s advanced eTrailer System. The latter is conceived to turn large diesel trucks to hybrid-electric.
According to Range Energy, the partnership highlights the opportunity to leverage existing shore power infrastructure and affordable charging hardware to support the transition of commercial trucking fleets to electric and hybrid-electric operations.
Range Energy and ESL: some more details about the partnership
Now, Range will work towards adding an ESL charging solution to its portfolio of practical electrification offerings. In preparation for this, the companies will conduct interoperability testing, ensuring seamless integration and optimizing charging efficiency for electrified trailers. Additionally, Range and ESL will engage with air quality regulators on projects to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of using the Range system in real-world operations, as well as to showcase the environmental and operational benefits of electrified transport refrigeration unit (TRU) fleets operating within California.
ESL will contribute 480V 3-phase charging hardware for installation at fleet sites, which will be used throughout the duration of the demonstration projects. Following completion of the projects, the chargers will be owned by the relevant fleet sites, further supporting their transition to electric operations.
“Collaborating with ESL represents a critical step towards electric and hybrid-electric commercial fleet operations,” said Jon Foster, CEO, Range Energy. “By demonstrating the real-world feasibility of affordable alternating current (AC) charging to support electric and hybrid-electric fleet operations, we are proving that practical electrification solutions exist today.”
“Fleet operators are increasingly looking for dependable and scalable charging infrastructure to support electrified operations. We are fulfilling that need by providing a high-performance charging solution that enables Range’s system to seamlessly integrate into fleets’ daily operations,” added Jonathan Daou, Product Manager, ESL. “This is important to ensure that the integration of electric equipment doesn’t negatively impact fleet operations, while simultaneously supporting commercial trucking’s transition to electric power for a more sustainable future.”
