Clever EV hack could reinvent diesel trucking

Fox News

5 days ago

If you think electric trucking means buying a brand-new semi, think again. Long-haul trucks are now being upgraded with a surprising twist, thanks to California-based startup Revoy. Their electric boost doesn't replace diesel but works alongside it to cut emissions and fuel costs without major disruption.
In 2025, transportation was the top source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. And for the first time, heavy-duty trucks edged out passenger vehicles in how much pollution they produce. That makes freight the low-hanging fruit in the fight to reduce emissions. But electrifying it? That's where things get tricky.
Electric semis are pricey. They're also heavy, have limited range, and take too long to charge. Trucking companies, many of them small operators, run on razor-thin margins and can't afford long downtimes. Public fast-charging for trucks barely exists. And without more demand, investors aren't building new stations. That's the bottleneck.
Revoy's solution flips the equation. Instead of replacing the truck, they simply electrify the space between the cab and trailer.
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Imagine your standard diesel rig pulling onto the highway. Nothing looks unusual until you notice something new sandwiched between the truck and trailer. Revoy's innovation is a high-tech electric dolly with its own motor and a massive battery pack.
The dolly carries a 575-kilowatt-hour battery, putting it in the same class as fully electric semis. But here's the clever part: it doesn't just trail along. It pushes the truck forward using its own powered axle, giving the diesel engine a break and saving fuel. All of this happens without modifying the truck or trailer.
It connects to the truck's fifth-wheel hitch using a smart kingpin. It also plugs into the existing air and electrical lines between the cab and trailer. No hardwiring. No overhaul. Revoy designed it for fast installation, just minutes, no tools required.
This isn't just about range. Revoy's dolly also turns any diesel rig into a smarter, safer machine. Using embedded sensors and cameras, the dolly monitors blind spots and feeds real-time data to a driver's smartphone app. It enhances lane stability, helps correct steering in crosswinds, and delivers regenerative braking that recharges the battery. It also enables automated reversing, especially useful for tight yards and docks.
The best part? Drivers don't need to learn anything new. There's no extra dashboard. The truck drives as it always has, just with extra power, extra control, and extra safety.
Charging has always been a weak point in electric freight. Even the fastest chargers take 30 minutes or more to top off a truck battery. Revoy dodges that altogether. Instead of plugging in, truckers pull into a Revoy swap station and exchange their depleted dolly for a freshly charged one. The process takes about five minutes, which is faster than refueling a diesel tank.
The first swap stations are already live in Texas and Arkansas, with more coming soon. As the network grows, so does the vision of truly hybrid diesel-electric freight. And if the route doesn't include a Revoy station? No problem. The truck simply runs on diesel alone and drops off the dolly at the last location passed.
Worried about capital expense? Revoy's business model removes the barrier entirely. Truckers and fleet operators don't purchase the dolly; they lease it per mile. That means zero capital investment and no maintenance headaches.
The system is designed to pay for itself. Revoy estimates savings of over $5,000 per truck annually, mostly through reduced fuel consumption. In some cases, fleets have reported 3 to 5 times better fuel efficiency.
And weight isn't an issue for most operators. While the dolly adds mass, most truckloads fill trailers by volume, not weight. Revoy says over 60% of loads qualify, making this a practical fit for the majority of long-haul routes.
Revoy built its dolly system for U.S.-style single-trailer rigs, but the idea could scale globally. Countries like Australia, with vast, sun-drenched highways, could easily support dolly-swap stations powered by solar energy. Imagine swapping a charged dolly in the Outback instead of waiting an hour for a charger.
Canada and other countries with twin-trailer B-Doubles would require a modified version, but the core concept remains powerful: electrify trucks without replacing them. The technology is modular. The logistics are scalable. The potential is massive.
Electric trucks are still years away from becoming mainstream. But this electric add-on is already solving the biggest problems today. It's fast. It's smart. It works with the trucks that are already on the road. Instead of overhauling the entire trucking industry, this system works with what exists right now. You don't need a brand-new truck. You just need a smarter way to power it.
Is adding electric power to diesel rigs a brilliant bridge or a distraction from real change? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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