ReVolt Motors bets on hybrid powertrains to decarbonize Class 8 fleets

In a recent webinar, Martin Weissbart of global consulting firm Roland Berger noted that hybrid technologies can be used to bridge electrification gaps in off-highway equipment. This approach allows OEMs and customers alike to decarbonize while net-zero technologies continue to develop.

However, the hybrid approach is not limited to off-highway equipment. On-highway commercial vehicles face similar electrification challenges. These include the familiar cost premiums as well as “range anxiety” due to underdeveloped charging infrastructures.

ReVolt Motors is working to help Class 8 fleets decarbonize by providing hybrid retrofit solutions. The company recently announced plans to unveil a Peterbilt 379 with its electrified powertrain technology at March’s Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. ReVolt characterized the series hybrid retrofit as a “significantly more affordable option” than investing in a new battery-electric (BE) truck.

A Little Bit Different

Gus Gardner, ReVolt Motors’ CEO, began his career in investment banking, which he said gave him experience with many startups that would deliver good pitches only to fail sometime after launch. Later, his experience working for manufacturers provided him with insight into corporate operations, including supply chain management and emissions reduction as part of environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting.

ReVolt Motors plans to unveil a Peterbilt 379 Class 8 truck retrofitted with the company’s series hybrid powertrain at the upcoming Mid-America Trucking show. (Photo: ReVolt)

“It kind of got me thinking: how do we get economics on the right side of history because then everything’s a lot easier,” Gardner said. “I always say I like to find places where you can do well by doing good.”

That philosophy led Gardner to seek opportunities where profitability and goodwill aligned. He saw such an intersection at a distressed asset sale.

“There was a company that had spent a number of years and huge amounts of capital to develop a vehicle that was almost just right,” he said. “And there were just a couple of things that they missed.”

Gardner continued, “There was a large national specialty transport carrier that was really interested in this technology and had an idea that if we can just do a diesel-electric hybrid, this is going to be easy.”

Thus, ReVolt Motors was born, which allowed Gardner and his team the opportunity to provide a solution that it believes will cost-effectively improve commercial vehicle fuel economy, which many studies point to being as much as 40 percent with a hybrid powertrain.

They will also be cleaner. “I looked at all that and I said this has to be one of these situations where we’re going to have a more compelling commercial offering that also reduces emissions,” Gardner said.

It’s not a solution for everyone, however. According to Gardner, “There are certain applications where mechanical drivetrains or fully electric trucks are great. Like last-mile delivery — electric’s perfect to do that.”

He added ReVolt’s goal is to “find the places where the existing infrastructure and the existing rolling capital stock is the most inefficient. Those are the places where we’re going to win the biggest.”

Decarbonization ‘Baby Steps’

According to Gardner, part of ReVolt’s appeal lies in the middle ground it occupies as a decarbonization technology.

“There are a lot of OEMs that went all the way to electric or hydrogen or all of these things, and they skipped over the baby step of let’s just do it a little bit better,” he said. Gardner used the Toyota Prius hybrid as an example in passenger vehicles of an approach that took some early incremental steps toward decarbonization before battery-electric (BE) became the more dominant technology.

Gardner added that much decarbonization can be done by using off-the-shelf components and technology to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy.

“That’s where we come in,” he said.

Gardner explained that the company chose to apply its technology, software and systems integration expertise to the aforementioned Peterbilt 379 because it is ubiquitous.

“There are enough of those out there that we can just keep doing the same one,” he said. That will allow ReVolt to prove the economics of retrofitting certain truck models before expanding and licensing its technology to certified installers and technicians.

Not Just Retrofits

Gardner said that in addition to retrofitting fleets, ReVolt also provides its technology to new builds.

“We have a sort of test fleet, if you will, or an initial fleet of about 30 brand-new trucks that will have our system and would be considered a fleet offering,” he said, adding that more information about those vehicles will be released in future announcements.

Gardner said that in the long term, he plans for ReVolt to be embedded with one or more key suppliers of Class 8 components, such as cab or chassis makers, as it has no plans to build its own tractors.

“I would expect that a large OEM or an engine maker or a Tier 1 supplier would probably want to incorporate us into their portfolio, whether it’s through a strategic partnership or a purchase or a long-term supply agreement,” he said.

Trucks Turned Gen-Sets

One thing Gardner said sets ReVolt’s hybrid technology apart from other electrified equipment is that it allows Class 8 trucks to essentially become mobile generators.

“We can offload 250 kW of power,” he said. “So, if you’re an incident response command center and you need backup power for your place, and those trailers generally don’t get disconnected from their tractor, we’re probably a cost savings for you. Not only because you’re not buying two pieces of equipment — you’re buying one — but because you don’t have to change the oil and fuel the backup generator.”

Gardner added that in the case of a fleet truck hauling backup generators for use in an emergency, it could reclaim that payload for other more critical cargo and use the tractor for emergency power instead. The tractors can also be connected in parallel for even more power, Gardner said.

Shifting Regulatory Environment

While changes in emissions regulations may have an impact on the viability of electrification for certain vehicles and equipment, Gardner said he believes ReVolt’s business model is viable regardless of the government policies in play.

“I would say that right now, we definitely have an evolving policy landscape,” he said. “I’m really confident in ReVolt’s ability to deliver value to our customers and navigate all of this in an effective way.”