Freight Efficiency with NACFE‘s Mike Roeth & Friends

Rachael Nealer, energy and transportation leader, former executive director of the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, talks about why it is important to break down silos, new models for momentum, and the importance of making research actionable. She also talks about what she thinks can be applied from passenger cars to trucks, and why money is not the only thing needed to transition to a new technology. She also shares what she sees as some of the less common benefits and challenges of EVs and gives some advice on approaching the future.

Dan Priestley, Director, Semi at Tesla, talks about the early days of the Tesla Semi, why they are focusing on the on-highway segment of the market, the truck’s development and what were some of the lessons they learned in the early days. He also provides an update on where Tesla is today, why he loves working with fleets, why sometimes it can be challenging for fleets to make a big commitment on a new technology and why he thinks in the future fleets will appreciate the longevity and potential of EVs.

John Walters, vice president and general manager, heavy-duty, Americas for Valvoline, talks about his love for technology, how fate brought him to trucking, and why we all have a stake in making the trucking industry more efficient. He also talks about the work Valvoline is doing to prove to the heavy-duty market that it belongs. And he shares his thoughts on the Messy Middle, why he welcomes it and wants to be a part of it and explains how the trucking industry is like an elephant.

Leia Guccione, managing director of Carbon-Free Transportation at RMI, talks about her career in the Navy and the Naval Reserve and how the skills she learned there transferred to her job in the civilian world. She also talks about the value teams bring to problem solving, her passion for working on a problem from a variety of angles, what excites her about working in transportation, the transportation transformation that is taking place and how BEVs have the potential to make it easier to make the grid green.

Cliff Campbell, managing director and industry liaison officer for the Center For Freight and Logistics Efficiency With Electrified and Automated Trucking, explains what the organization does to bridge the valley of death in innovation and how the center leverages the research dollars of its members. He also talks about the three projects that are currently underway at the center which include an EV case study, development of a new type of motor and 3D printing of EV parts. He also shares his views on autonomous trucks including why he thinks there will always need to be a human in the cab.