Trucking companies and industry manufacturers, in partnership with New York State and the federal government, will demonstrate Truck Stop Electrification (TSE) on I-87 in New York this summer.

A truckstop on the Adirondack Northway will be selected as the site of a truck shorepower facility. As interest develops in this project, an expanded I-87 shorepower system could be established.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) are sponsoring the shorepower demonstration, while Antares Group Inc. is conducting the demonstration to provide an evaluation of the technology and its potential benefits.
Driver feedback is essential to the project, according to Antares. Truckers using the TSE system will be able to provide their comments by mail or by logging onto a web site. This user feedback will be the basis for improving system design and functionality, assessing the market feasibility of shorepower in New York State, and estimating fuel savings and environmental benefits.
Argonne National Laboratory estimates that typical Class 8 long-haul tractors spend more than 1,800 hours a year idling for heating or air conditioning and powering their sleeper cab appliances. At an hourly diesel fuel use of one gallon and with diesel fuel averaging $1.50 per gallon, nearly $3,000 a year is wasted on fuel consumption alone.
Shorepower, a low-cost approach to TSE, will be used for the New York demonstration.
Shorepower provides electrical hookups to power cab accessories and appliances and is a cleaner, quieter alternative to engine idling at rest stops. Shorepower TSE supplies electricity to a truck in a manner similar to power connection pedestals for recreational vehicles at RV parks and boats at marinas.
Phase 1 -- the preliminary demonstration stage -- includes selecting a truck fleet, finalizing the essential on-board system and convenience packages, converting a sleeper cab truck to shorepower, and designing the stationary infrastructure of the shorepower facility. It is anticipated that a twin-mount shorepower pedestal will supply two trucks with 110-volt electric power and communications hookups.
In Phase 2, the final shorepower system design will be installed and tested at the selected Northway rest stop. An additional 19 sleeper-cab tractors will be equipped with shorepower on-board hardware. The installed shorepower facility and 20-truck demonstration fleet will be evaluated over a year’s normal operation.
Committed partners are needed for the I-87 shorepower demonstration. The project is searching for fleets that regularly use I-87 and can provide access to sleeper-cab tractors for a no-cost shorepower conversion in Phase 1 or Phase 2. All vehicle-installed equipment will become fleet property at the end of the demonstration period. In addition, electric power will be provided at no cost to all fleets participating in this demonstration. Equipment manufacturers -- including Dometic Corp., Phillips and Temro Industries Inc., and Xantrex Technology Inc. -- have committed to providing technical input and in-kind contributions regarding the preliminary design and hardware specification of on-board truck electric systems. These systems include electric-powered HVAC, on-board inverters, and 110-volt electric wiring packages.
For more information, call Joe Tario at (518) 862-1090, Ext. 3215, or Michelle Constantino at (301) 731-1900, Ext. 34.