![Autocar and Rocsys are deploying automated hands-free EV chargers for trucks [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/03/Hands-free-EV-chargers-hero.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Autocar and Rocsys are deploying automated hands-free EV chargers for trucks [Video]
Severe-duty vehicle manufacturer Autocar has partnered with Rocsys to deploy the latter’s hands-free EV chargers, expanding the technology across the former’s electric terminal tractors. Together, Autocar and Rocsys have already secured an initial fleet customer en route to full-scale integration of easier, intuitive charging infrastructure across the entire segment.
Autocar, LLC describes itself as the first specialized truck brand in North America, developing, manufacturing, and selling severe-duty vocational trucks explicitly built to its commercial customers’ exact specifications and needs.
That lineup includes its all-electric E-ACTT terminal tractor (seen above), which is now getting some hands-free EV charging assistance from Rocsys. Rocsys is a specialist in nascent technologies that pertain to hands-free EV charging.
The company currently develops a series of next-generation soft robotics, AI-driven computer vision, and data-driven services to optimize uptime for clients in OEM operations in the US and Europe.
Today, the two companies announced a new partnership to expand the reach of Rocsys’ charging technology across Autocar’s customer base.
Watch Rocsys’ hands-free EV charger in action
Autocar and Rocsys describe their new strategic alliance as an industry-first, deploying hands-free EV charging operations to terminal tractors at distribution centers, inland ports, and other logistical footprints.
Autocar states that the partnership will leverage Rocsys’ hands-free charging expertise to stay at the forefront of EV adoption across a unique segment of large specialty vehicles. The severe-duty vehicle manufacturer currently offers several powertrain options to support its customer’s needs and can now provide convenient charging solutions. Autocar chairman Andrew Taitz elaborated:
Providing hands-free charging for Autocar customers means they won’t have to piecemeal charging solutions together when they purchase EV trucks from us. All they need will come in one package – ‘always up’ EV trucks combined with non-manual charging set up for them onsite. By eliminating the need for manual intervention, hands-free charging ensures uninterrupted and efficient charging operations round the clock, enhancing fleet productivity and sustainability.
Rocsys co-founder and CEO Crijn Bouman explained that the company’s hands-free EV chargers reduce wear and tear on charging cables and connectors while expediting the whole process. The technology is compatible with any high-power DC charging station and utilizes a CCS-1 charging connector, offering easy integration into existing infrastructure across the commercial EV industry.
As part of the partnership announcement, the companies also shared that they had already secured an initial pilot order from one of Autocar’s national accounts to support logistical operations. That customer has yet to be made public. Check out one of Rocsys’ hands-free EV chargers doing its thing in the video below:
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EV sales kept up their momentum in December 2024, with incentives playing a big role, according to the latest Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book report.
December’s strong EV sales saw an average transaction price (ATP) of $55,544, which helped push the industry-wide ATP higher, according to Kelley Blue Book. The December ATP for an EV was higher year-over-year by 0.8%, slightly below the industry average, and higher month-over-month by 1.1%. Tesla ATPs were higher year-over-year by 10.5%.
Incentives for EVs remained elevated in December, although they were slightly lower month-over-month at 14.3% of ATP, down from 14.7% in November.
EV incentives were higher by an impressive 41% year-over-year and have been above 12% of ATP for six consecutive months. Strong sales incentives, which averaged more than $6,700 per sale in 2024, were one reason EV sales surpassed 1.3 million units last year, according to Cox Automotive, a new record for volume and share.
(My colleague Jameson Dow reported yesterday, “In 2024, the world sold 3.5 million more EVs than it did in the previous year … This increase is larger than the 3.2 million increase in EV sales from the previous year – meaning that EV sales aren’t just up, but that the rate of growth is itself increasing.”)
Kelley Blue Book estimated that in December, approximately 84,000 vehicles – or 5.6% of total sales – transacted at prices higher than $80,000 – the highest volume ever. KBB lumps gas cars and EVs together into this luxury vehicle category, so this is where Tesla Cybertruck is slotted.
However, Tesla bundles sales figures of Cybertruck with Model S, Model X, and Tesla Semi(!) into a category it calls “other models,” so we don’t know for sure exactly how many Cybertrucks Tesla sold in Q4, much less in December. However, Electrek‘s Fred Lambert estimates between 9,000 and 12,000 Cybertrucks were sold in Q4, and that’s not a stellar sales figure.
What will January bring when it comes to EV ATPs? What about tax credits? Check back in a month and I’ll fill you in.
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Tesla is now claiming that Cybertruck was the ‘best-selling electric pickup in US’ last year despite not even reporting the number of deliveries.
There’s a lot of context needed here.
As we often highlighted, Tesla is sadly one of, if not the most, opaque automakers regarding sales reports.
Tesla doesn’t break down sales per model or even region.
For comparison, here’s Ford’s Q4 2024 sales report compared to Tesla’s:
You could argue that Tesla has fewer models than Ford, and that’s true, but Tesla’s report literally has two lines despite having six different models.
There’s no reason not to offer a complete breakdown like all other automakers other than trying to make it hard to verify the health of each vehicle program.
This has been the case with the Cybertruck. Tesla is bundling its Cybertruck deliveries with Model S, Model X, and Tesla Semi deliveries.
Despite this lack of disclosure, Tesla has been able to claim that the Cybertruck has become “the best-selling electric pickup truck” in the US in 2024:
It very well might be true. Ford disclosed 33,510 F-150 Lightning truck deliveries in the US in 2024 while most estimates are putting Cybertruck deliveries at around 40,000 units.
Those are global deliveries, but Tesla only delivered the Cybertruck in the US, Canada, and Mexico in 2024, and most of the deliveries are believed to be in the US.
However, there’s essential context needed here, as we highlighted in our recent ‘Tesla Cybertruck sales are disastrous‘ article.
First off, Tesla had a backlog of over 1 million reservations for the Cybertruck that it has been building since 2019. This led many to believe Tesla already had years of demand baked in for the truck and that production would be the constraint.
However, based on estimates, again, because Tesla refuses to disclose the data, Cybertruck deliveries were either flat or down in Q4 versus Q3 despite Tesla introducing cheaper versions of the vehicle and ramping up production.
Again, that’s after just about 40,000 deliveries.
Furthermore, with almost 11,000 deliveries in Q4 in the US, Ford more likely than not outsold Cybertruck with the F-150 Lightning in Q4.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla is in damage control here. There’s no doubt that it is having issues selling the Cybertruck.
Inventory is full of Cybertrucks and Tesla is now discounting them and offering free lifetime Supercharging.
Tesla is great at ramping up production, and it’s clear the Cybertruck is not production-constrained anymore. It is demand-constrained despite having over 1 million reservations.
Again, those reservations were made before Tesla unveiled the production version, which happened to have less range and cost significantly more.
The upcoming cheaper single motor version should help with demand, but I have serious doubts Tesla can ramp this program up to more than 100,000 units in the US.
As a reminder, Tesla installed a production capacity of 250,000 units annually and Musk said he could see Tesla selling 500,000 Cybertrucks per year.
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