Range Energy, a provider of powered trailers to the commercial trucking market, says preliminary third-party testing results show its technology enables up to 36.9% fuel efficiency gains (+3.25 mpg) for semi-trucks.

Testing was conducted on a 25.5-mile urban/highway loop at approximately 59,000 lbs. GVW and 60 mph top speeds across multiple scenarios including stop/go and steady-speed portions.

Mesilla Valley Transportation Solutions (MVTS), a company that provides testing and design and development services for the trucking industry, conducted the fuel economy testing. It demonstrates meaningful progress toward rapidly reducing the emissions of the commercial trucking sector as well as helping fleet operators meet emerging emissions reductions targets and bring down their cost-per-mile regardless of their duty cycle.

“Achieving 36.3 percent efficiency improvements proves to the trucking industry how important and overlooked trailers are to enhancing efficiency and lowering emissions for our industry,” says Ali Javidan, CEO and founder, Range Energy. “Range is the first electrification platform to actually prove this level of efficiency benefit, and we anticipate these numbers will only improve as we begin testing with production quality parts versus prototype components.”

​“We were impressed with the Range trailer,” adds Daryl Bear, chief operations officer of MVTS. “Whether a fleet wants to reduce fuel usage or increase BEV range, this system provides unique opportunities over a traditional trailer. Our drivers also liked the Range trailer; reporting it pulled easier and felt lighter.

“Naturally, there is a trade-off with electric charging and additional weight so it may not suit every fleet, but for those considering the EV direction, Range is worth talking to,” he says.