Volvo LIGHTS Project Expands Charging Options for Electric Trucks
Volvo Trucks North America announced that REMA EV Connections, a provider of charging connectors, successfully worked with the Volvo LIGHTS project to secure UL certification for its CCS2 connector.
Now let’s translate all of that technobabble, shall we?
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By the end of 2019, there were only 2,000 electric trucks on United States roads. But that number is expected to surge to more than 54,000 by 2025 according to analysts, something that would make the Volvo LIGHTS project very happy.
Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) is a partnership between California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District and 13 organizations. Its goal is to develop a blueprint for successfully introducing electric trucks and equipment into the United States market at a large scale.
Naturally, a requirement for meeting that goal is establishing a charging standard. While the Combined Charging System Type 2 connector has been prevalent throughout the rest of the world, North America has been stuck on CCS1.
In comes REMA EV Connections: a leading, global charging connector provider. Working with key suppliers in the Volvo LIGHTS project, it was able to secure Underwriters Laboratories certification for its CCS2 connector. UL is a nationally recognized laboratory, and its certification verifies that CCS2 connectors meet North American safety standards.
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In short, this is a win for electric trucks. Fleet operators will now be able to purchase fast-charging CCS2 chargers directly from suppliers — including ABB, a Volvo LIGHTS vendor — without having to go through a separate and complex field-certification process.
“The CCS2 UL-certification will give fleets more charging options and greater flexibility for integrating battery-electric vehicles into their fleets in a very nascent marketspace,” said Keith Brandis, vice president of partnerships and strategic solutions at Volvo Group.
“As part of the innovative Volvo LIGHTS project, our team was happy to collaborate with ABB and REMA to accelerate the UL certification of the CCS2 connector, which will be used to charge Volvo’s pilot VNR Electric trucks.”
This development should also allow other agencies and utilities to expand their list of approved charging options for electric fleet vehicles, further enhancing the charging infrastructure around North America.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.