Secretary of State Antony Blinken shares a moment with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo at the US-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting in Luleå, Sweden. (Secretary of State Antony Blinken via Twitter)
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To advance the pursuit of truck electrification, the US government and the European Union have agreed that when developing a megawatt charging standard for heavy trucks, it should be universal.
A common international standard on megawatt charging systems for recharging heavy electric vehicles was among the key decisions taken on May 31 during the fourth US-EU Trade and Technology Council Ministerial Meeting in Luleå, Sweden.
“This (standard) will facilitate transatlantic trade and investment by reducing manufacturing and deployment costs,” the Council stated.
A White House statement on May 31 said the TTC would “maximize clean energy development, accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy no later than 2050, increase the security of clean energy technology supply chains, and preserve and create good jobs.” “. “Advancing jobs for workers in the transatlantic economy” through the exchange of information.
Today’s US-EU Trade and Technology Board Ministerial and meetings with stakeholders in Sweden reaffirmed that this forum is the cornerstone of our economic partnership, which is one of the most comprehensive and dynamic economic relationships in the world. pic.twitter.com/Q6mvPnzR41 — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 31, 2023
The TTC meeting was co-chaired by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, along with European Commission Executive Vice Presidents Margrethe Vestager (competition) and Valdis Dombrovskis (trade).
The TTC noted that it “places decarbonization efforts at the center of trade policy to accelerate the transition toward a net-zero economy,” given that climate change challenges are priorities in the United States and the European Union.
The aim of this gathering was to promote issues such as transatlantic cooperation on emerging technologies, sustainable trade, economic prosperity and secure connectivity. Discussions also included artificial intelligence technologies, an agreement on early warnings for the semiconductor supply chain and efforts to promote e-mobility (electric vehicles).
The TTC noted that a uniform standard for a megawatt charging system for heavy electric vehicles is critical.
“We will continue to work together to develop a transatlantic test procedure for high power charging, up to MCS levels, ensuring interoperability and system charging performance,” the TTC said. “These efforts will ensure that stakeholders benefit from fully compatible technical specifications, reducing manufacturing and deployment costs and thus facilitating transatlantic cooperation for electric mobility to become mainstream.”
Through 🇺🇸- 🇪🇺 TTC, we have the opportunity to deepen our business relationship with one of our key trading partners. I look forward to continuing our work to achieve results for citizens on both sides of the Atlantic. https://t.co/WddwCIcchy — Ambassador Katherine Tai (@AmbassadorTai) May 31, 2023
The U.S. government and state officials have primarily begun rolling out plans across the country to introduce more electric vehicle charging stations using kilowatts of electricity. The MCS standard is in development for recharging heavy vehicles because larger batteries need more power, and it would be advantageous to charge them at faster rates than using kilowatts. (Energy in one megawatt is equal to 1000 kilowatts).
Addressing the MCS issue is critical to the adoption of medium and heavy-duty EVs.
“These larger commercial vehicles consume a lot of energy and must be recharged quickly to avoid costly downtime. High-power charging equipment is essential to quickly recharge the high-capacity batteries in these vehicles,” the laboratory’s “Heavy Truck Charging” fact sheet noted. Department of Energy National Argonne Institute.
Peter Voorhoff, President of Volvo Trucks North America, discusses what it will take to make electric vehicles a success in the trucking industry. Listen above or go to RoadSigns.ttnews.com.
A long-haul truck driver driving a Class 8 EV tractor would need a 30-minute break to cover the time it takes for a 1.6 megawatt charge to restore 400 miles of electric power, according to the fact sheet. (Using a kilowatt charger requires longer downtime.)
Another outcome of the TTC meeting was the release of a document on May 30 containing its recommendations for public electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
“Transatlantic cooperation on technical requirements for electric vehicle infrastructure can help deploy publicly funded charging infrastructure more efficiently, and harmonize our standards where possible,” the report noted. “This will enable our industries to be more competitive across global markets and put us in a much stronger position on international standardization committees to move towards global standards that meet EU and US ambitions.”
The 16-page document, issued by the EU-US Trade and Technology Board, is called “Transatlantic Technical Recommendations for Government-Funded Implementation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure.”
“Gaps and incompatibilities in proposed connectivity and connectivity standards for EV charging in the US and EU may impact interoperability and push the industry to produce multiple requirements, leading to increased costs, longer development times and trade barriers,” the written report said. By authors from Argonne National Laboratory and the European Commission Joint Research Centre.
In conjunction with the TTC meeting, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his EU counterpart issued a joint commitment to cooperate on common interests, including harmonizing megawatt standards for recharging heavy electric trucks.
The joint statement on transatlantic cooperation was issued on May 30 after a meeting between Buttigieg and Adina Valian, the European Union’s transport commissioner.
“The European Union and the United States share a strong commitment to working together to address the most pressing challenges facing our transportation systems. Our continued partnership is built on the strong foundation of our alliances, friendships, and shared values across the Atlantic,” Buttigieg noted in the statement.
Both officials noted their commitment to strengthening cooperation in research and technology exchange, especially in the field of electric vehicles, such as harmonizing the MCS standard for recharging heavy trucks and deploying electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
“The health of the transatlantic economy and the global economy as a whole depends on strong transportation networks that are able to protect our supply chains and adapt to new challenges,” Valian said. “We are also partners in addressing the challenges of decarbonising the transport sector, and we stand together to define and inspire change for the future.”
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