Evaluating the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Potential Use of Electric Pickup Trucks Using Field Test Data

About the report:

In December 2022, the Virginia Transportation Research Council completed the technical assistance report, Potential for Electrification of the VDOT Vehicle Fleet, which investigated how electric trucks might integrate into the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) fleet. That study was based on daily mileages of a sample of VDOT’s current internal combustion engine pickup truck fleet and manufacturer-supplied ranges of the Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks. This current project builds on that previous effort by (1) field testing the range, charging, and general capabilities of the electric truck and its associated charging infrastructure and (2) capturing the experiences of VDOT field staff when using the vehicle.

Field testing revealed that the electric truck performed consistently with manufacturer estimates under standard driving conditions but experienced significant range reductions during towing operations (50–70% decrease) and cold weather conditions (energy consumption of 4.1 miles per hour equivalent during winter idling). The vehicle demonstrated good suitability for local maintenance operations, with accurate range estimation and effective performance during low-speed work zone operations. Based on these findings, the study recommends that VDOT’s Maintenance Division initiate a pilot electric vehicle deployment that prioritizes electric sport utility vehicles and sedans at selected facilities. The operational limitations observed in electric pickup trucks during towing and cold weather operations indicate that electric sport utility vehicles and sedans can provide similar fuel and maintenance cost benefits without these constraints because they are typically not required for heavy towing or 24-hour, around-the-clock emergency operations that characterize many pickup truck applications. The refined Electric Vehicle Decision Support Tool developed from field test data can guide optimal deployment decisions, with properly deployed electric trucks providing potential annual savings of $1,400 per vehicle compared with conventional pickup trucks through reduced fuel and maintenance costs.

Supplemental materials can be found at https://library.vdot.virginia.gov/vtrc/supplements.

_{Disclaimer Statement:The contents of this report reflect the views of the author(s), who is responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, or the Federal Highway Administration. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Any inclusion of manufacturer names, trade names, or trademarks is for identification purposes only and is not to be considered an endorsement.}

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