How to support the electrification of industrial vehicles

Components such as braking resistors, harmonic filters and chokes are able to solve challenges that the EV industry faces, which include driving range, harsh environments and harmonic pollution. The new whitepaper also explains how wind-turbines can be used to generate the electricity needed for EV charging to ensure an even lower industrial carbon footprint.

Heavy commercial vehicles are responsible for 25 percent of EU traffic CO2 emissions, however most discussions around EVs focus on vehicles for personal use. Industrial vehicles face a unique set of challenges. Trucks, for example, often drive for much longer distances in harsh conditions while carrying heavier loads than cars. REO UK’s latest industry whitepaper explains how manufacturers can use electrical components, like braking resistors and chokes, to develop the next generation of industrial EVs.

“The right components can take an industrial EV to the next level of efficiency. Braking resistors, for example, can limit excess electrical energy to allow optimisation of a regenerative braking system that can feed energy back into the battery to increase range, or it can be dissipated as useful heat when required,” explained Steve Hughes, Managing Director of REO UK. “REO, especially can provide higher power resistors for larger vehicles, such as trucks and earth moving equipment.”

REO UK’s whitepaper also highlights the growing concern around whether the National Grid is able to handle the growing demand for EV charging or the potential for harmonic pollution – a type of power quality problem caused by the harmonic currents of non-linear loads in charging systems. Distorted wave patterns, caused by harmonic pollution, can lead to the overheating of conductors and faults in the operation of protection relays. The paper will discuss how total harmonic distortion can be reduced by using harmonic filters.

Finally, the new whitepaper discusses how wind power can be used to generate the electricity needed to charge industrial EVs and how wind turbines can be more efficient using braking resistors, edge winding and chokes. 

“Supporting the increase in industrial EVs is not just about making the vehicles more efficient. We also need to consider the challenges in charging EVs and ensure that we use renewable energy to generate electricity for charging in the first place. We want this whitepaper to show how industrial EVs can be both efficient and sustainable,” concluded Hughes.