ASPIRE Unveils Utah's First Electrified Class 6 Box Truck

ASPIRE has collaborated with Kenworth Sales Company to upfit a Kenworth K270E Class 6 box truck with in-motion wireless charging.

This truck is a part of the Utah Electrification Initiative and has been in the works since 2023. The initiative aims to identify and implement innovative electrification strategies in Utah — such as the viability of wireless charging, both in-motion (also known as dynamic) and stationary (or static) charging.

The Class 6 truck will be deployed near the Union Pacific Railway within the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) area that includes the west side of the Salt Lake area — a region that experiences higher air pollution. With significant freight movement in and around the Utah Inland Port area, available in-motion, stationary and traditional vehicle charging infrastructure for electrification of trucks, like this Class 6 box truck, will be a significant contributor to improving air quality.

“A number of fleets run in a roughly 100-mile radius in Salt Lake County,” said Michael Masquelier, the interim director of the Utah Electrification Initiative and chief commercial officer at ASPIRE. “This is a great way to show the public and fleet operators what is possible, and what the benefit is for the communities, even beyond the savings this can generate for local fleet operators.”

Several fleets have already expressed interest in testing this truck. A number of those fleets are already pursuing or have expressed interest in pursuing fleet electrification.

“When the in-motion charge lane is installed later this year, ASPIRE will be holding a ribbon cutting and Ride ’n Drive event,” said Dustin Maughan, the program director at ASPIRE. “We’ll be inviting all of those fleets to come attend, to drive the truck around and to sign up for the opportunity to involve it in their regular areas of operations for a period of time.”

One of the largest advantages of ASPIRE’s electrified box truck is its adaptability, because it is equipped to utilize more than just available plug-in charging.

“It will run on the quarter-mile dynamic wireless power transfer, or in other words, it can charge while it’s driving through technology embedded in the roads,” Masquelier said. “But it is also equipped for stationary wireless charging technology installed at the Utah Inland Port charging hub.”

Focusing on in-motion charging is one of ASPIRE’s main project areas, because it can reduce battery sizes for vehicles, lessening material requirements to manufacture batteries, lowering costs and increasing carrying capacity.

“The overall objective of this project is to demonstrate the cutting-edge ways that freight and goods can be moved around Utah and provide improvements to technology innovation and the quality of life,” Maughan said.

About ASPIRE & Utah Electrification:

Headquartered at Utah State University, ASPIRE is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center. ASPIRE has demonstrated expertise in developing, implementing, and managing a range of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure projects and fostering strong partnerships across the EV charging ecosystem. The center integrates multidisciplinary expertise across electrical, civil, and mechanical engineering, as well as economics, social sciences, and policy. In 2023, ASPIRE was designated the lead institution in building Utah’s Intelligent Electrified Transportation Plan. More information on the center can be found at aspire.usu.edu, and more on Utah’s electrification efforts can be found at utahelectrification.com.