Electric and hydrogen-powered trucks are on the way, but the timing depends on advances in technology, economic trends and the creation of adequate infrastructure, especially in the form of charging stations, says Mike Chaffins, vice president supply chain with Xos Trucks.

“It will take time” for electric trucks to take hold in the marketplace, Chaffins says. “We’re getting there, step by step. It’s a very slow process.”

Progress depends on coordination among manufacturers, to create a critical mass of infrastructure as well as cooperation with governments around the world, he says.

Electric charging stations are of particular importance. The goal, says Chaffins, is for the charging of vehicles to take roughly the same amount of time as filling a tank with gasoline. That’s hardly a reality now, with passenger vehicles requiring up to an hour for a full charge, but Chaffins is optimistic that the gap will be closed. “We’re getting closer every day to achieving that,” he says.

When it comes to trucks, electric power is best suited for vehicles making limited and standard runs that complete within a day, running short to medium-range routes. But longer hauls by big rigs will require hydrogen power, Chaffins says, and that technology is yet to “hit the mainstream.”

Advances in battery technology are also needed to make electric trucks a reality. The key to success, says Chaffins, lies in simultaneously reducing the weight and increasing the energy density of batteries. “Every pound is one you’re taking away from the payload,” he says.

Those dual goals are achievable, he adds, but again will take time to accomplish. “Everything is supply and demand and money,” Chaffins says. “There will be companies that come up with cutting-edge technology, reducing the weight of vehicles and increasing the amount of miles each one will be able to go on a charge.”