Presentation Title:
Reducing Battery and HVAC Power Demand in Stationary Heavy-Duty Trucks
Track C: Decarbonization and Electrification Strategies
Session C3: Transportation and Grid Electrification
Day 2 - March 12, 2026Â 2:00 pm
Speaker(s):
Abstract:
| Long-haul trucks in the United States consume an estimated 667 million gallons of fuel annually while idling, largely to support heating and cooling during driver rest periods. To address this inefficiency, our study investigated methods to reduce the electrical demand of climate control systems in Class 8 trucks through the application of load-reduction technologies. The analysis employed CoolCalc, a simulation tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that combines heat transfer modeling with comprehensive U.S. weather datasets to replicate the operating conditions trucks experience throughout the year. Simulation outputs were post-processed and analyzed using MATLAB.
We evaluated the effectiveness of several mitigation strategies, including reflective white exterior paint, enhanced sleeper curtains, and Thinsulate insulation, by comparing their electrical load requirements against a baseline configuration. Results show that trucks operating in the eastern United States could achieve electrical demand reductions of up to 40%, while those in western regions could see reductions reaching approximately 55%. These reductions suggest that a battery with a capacity of 10 kWh would be sufficient to support HVAC operation year-round without the need for engine idling. Considering that many long-haul trucks already carry battery systems rated around 800 Ah, or roughly 9.6 kWh, the adoption of these technologies could significantly reduce or eliminate idling for air conditioning purposes. |