B.C. trucking firm installs Canada's first two Tesla Megachargers

A British Columbia-based trucking company has ordered 12 Tesla all-electric Class-8 trucks, and in anticipation of receiving the zero-emission big rigs, is installing Canada’s first-ever Tesla-brand 1.2-megawatt chargers. The “MCS” chargers — which will be the first in Canada — will be located at R.R. Plett Trucking’s headquarters in Langley, B.C., and at its facility in Kamloops, reports Electric Autonomy, which broke the story. And according to the outlet, there’s more to come.

“Right now, we have projects started in Langley and Kamloops,” Trevor Plett, the trucking company’s chief operating officer, told Electric Autonomy. “We are working on a site in Golden [B.C.], to purchase to set up a charger there, and then also Calgary. So, the goal would be over the next three to five years to electrify that route. Obviously, it’s very capital-intensive, so we’re going to do it as quickly as we can, but it’s going to take some time.”

Tesla’s Megawatt charger is reported to add up to 60% battery range in approximately 30 minutes, and according to the company, a commercial dual-post Megacharger starts at around US$188,000, excluding installation.

R.R. Plett Trucking is an early adopter in the all-electric big-rig segment. Two years ago, it put eight Class-8 Volvo electric trucks into service on short-distance routes from the Port of Vancouver. Plett told Electric Autonomy the company has been satisfied with the performance of the Volvo rigs, but that the Telsa semis represent a game-changer for the industry.

“It’s a weight and a range that the Tesla can do that’s better than the competition right now,” Plett said. “The Tesla Semi is going to be under 19,000 pounds and have a range of around 500 kilometres, where the Volvo product we’re running now is about 23,000 pounds, with a range of about 300 to 350 kilometres.”

Just as the Tesla trucks represent a big leap forward, the Tesla Megacharger is essential for making the use of all-electric big rigs viable. Replacing DC fast-chargers, which the company has been using to recharge the Volvo trucks, with the 1.2-megawatts that a Megacharger can provide will shorten charging time down significantly.

“You can cut charging time from three hours [with DC fast-charging] down to 30 minutes with the MCS, which will help us double-shift those trucks,” Plett explained. “Right now, we’re running 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. six days a week. But then we have to let those trucks charge in the evening, so we’re not able to double-shift the current electric trucks.”

He added that once installed, the Megachargers will be made available to other trucking companies.