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Courtesy of RMI.
By Laurie Stone

Mike Roeth has clocked thousands of miles pulling his solar-powered recreational vehicle around the country in his quest to make trucking cleaner and more efficient. For some it may seem strange that an effort to curb fuel takes fuel, since Roeth pulls his RV with a diesel-powered Ford F-250.

But for Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) and trucking lead for RMI, it makes total sense. Roeth likes to live by the concept of “gemba,” a Japanese word meaning “the actual place.” He learned it in the 1990s while he was managing a plant for a manufacturer of engines and power systems. His plant was implementing a production system similar to Toyota’s, and Roeth was studying the Japanese automaker’s efforts when he discovered gemba.

Gemba means going to see the actual process and learning from those who do the work. Inside a Toyota factory, it means that management walks the floor to observe the manufacturing process up close. In Roeth’s world, it means that he is constantly out on the road, meeting with trucking companies and chatting with truck drivers. His goal is to understand the latest technologies for reducing emissions in a sector that is responsible for 24 percent of transportation’s greenhouse gas footprint.

Roeth grew up on a farm near Dayton, Ohio. He has been around tractors and trucks since he was a toddler. After graduating from Ohio State University with an engineering degree and working with different companies, he eventually became a vice president at Navistar, the company that owns the International brand of trucks and diesel engines. Roeth traveled a lot for work, and when he left Navistar, he decided he wanted to spend more time with his wife, Letty. He told her he would look for a job in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they were living at the time.

Letty, however, knew her husband better than that. “That’s not you—you have to be traveling and out with people,” she told him. “Why don’t we buy a camper? I’ll go with you and see how we like it.” Roeth became an industry consultant, and they instantly fell in love with working on the road.

Getting the Efficiency Bug

Although Roeth loves working in the trucking industry, he was bothered by the lack of interest in efficiency technologies when fuel prices were low. “I was frustrated to find out that over the past 50 years, when fuel prices went up the industry wanted to lower costs and be more efficient, but when prices went down they didn’t,” he said. As a result, a lot of efficiency technologies were being discarded. “I knew that we need to and can do better with the emissions that move our goods.”

Around the same time that the Roeths were taking to the road, RMI hosted a workshop on efficient trucking with the goal of doubling the efficiency of the trucking sector. NACFE, an independent organization helping to drive efficiency in the trucking sector, was born out of that charrette, and Roeth was the perfect person to take it on.

“The thing I like about trucking is that it’s a small industry: only about half a million trucks are produced in a given year. It forces everyone to work together,” Roeth says. “Even though all the companies have divergent goals, and there’s a very diverse, complex market of trucking, it’s also incredibly collaborative.” That dynamic is ideal for Roeth, who excels at getting people together to work toward a common goal.

“Mike has an incredible resume of experience,” says Amanda Phillips, general manager of OEM (original equipment manufacturer) sales at Meritor, a corporation that makes truck components. “He is always willing to share ideas and teach others. His energy and positive attitude are contagious.” From 2010 to 2016, Roeth nurtured NACFE from a small startup nonprofit to the leading organization on trucking efficiency. According to Phillips, “Mike’s entrepreneurial spirit and his work with NACFE have helped fleets better understand available technologies and the impact those advances can make in their fleet’s carbon footprint.”

During that same time, the Roeths got progressively bigger campers and started being gone more often. They eventually sold their house, got rid of most of their stuff, and became full-time RVers. They now have a 41-foot Jayco Eagle outfitted with a 1.4 kilowatt solar array to run their appliances.

The Roeths’ next step is to replace both their truck and camper with a motor home that pulls an electric car. Then, when parked at a campsite, they can drive their electric car for shorter trips. They hope to eventually get away from fossil fuels completely with an electric or hydrogen-powered truck that can pull an RV.

The Birth of Run on Less

In 2016, the NACFE team was trying to figure out how efficient a tractor trailer could be if it incorporated the best available efficiency technologies. The team thought the best way to do that was to track some of the most fuel-efficient trucks, driven by efficiency-focused drivers. And with that, Run on Less was born.

The first Run on Less event featured seven fleets, outfitted with different fuel-efficiency measures, in a cross-country demonstration. NACFE followed the fleets across the country and proved that fleets can improve their fuel efficiency by 25 percent if they adopt the right technologies.

The event was so successful that NACFE held a second Run on Less event in 2019. This one included 10 fleets, many very large, focused on regional haul. The second demonstration proved that the 800,000 trucks in North America could decrease their annual consumption of diesel from 8 billion gallons to 5.5 billion gallons, and eventually down to 1 billion gallons.

“Run on Less is just a gift that keeps on giving,” says Roeth. “It’s real, it’s human. We talk to truckers and the people buying trucks and running them, and then we share their stories and data. Do we like it because it’s fun or because the marketplace likes it? I think it’s a bit of both.”

To Roeth, the future of trucking looks bright. He’s most excited about electric and hydrogen trucks. “To think we can move freight with no emissions is incredible,” he says. “Trucking has done a lot. Diesel exhaust is cleaner now. I’m really proud of the industry. But it’s still carbon-based. I’m most excited about moving the industry to zero carbon.”

Roeth is getting an up-close glimpse at a carbon-free future for trucking in the third Run on Less demonstration, called Run on Less–Electric. This event, beginning September 2, features 13 electric trucks in a variety of real-world applications for companies including Frito-Lay, Anheuser-Busch, and Penske.

In addition to new technologies, Roeth is also excited about the changes in terms of diversity that he has seen over the 35 years he’s been involved in the industry. “The meetings I was in 30 years ago were all mostly white men. Now we have women and people of color involved from management to drivers,” he explains.

Living the Gemba Way

While many people took to the road during the COVID pandemic, the Roeths actually stayed put. Part of the joy of being on the road for the Roeths is not only attending industry events, but also going to museums, sporting events, and pubs, and meeting interesting people across the country.

Mike Roeth: Decarbonizing Trucking from the RoadWith COVID putting a stop to most of that, they felt they had no reason to go anywhere, so they hunkered down in Indiana. But it wasn’t the same. “During the pandemic I felt I was getting out of touch with trucking,” says Roeth. So he is now back on the road meeting with trucking companies, manufacturers, and drivers.

In the weeks leading up to Run on Less–Electric, he has been traveling around the country visiting most of the 13 companies involved, from Los Angeles to New York City. He has conducted dozens of interviews of fleet managers, company leaders, and truck drivers.

In this way, he learns firsthand about the benefits of electric trucks as well as any challenges the companies have faced. He then uses this knowledge to help increase the use of electric trucks in the industry. After one and a half years of COVID, he is back in his element: observing, listening, learning, and sharing ideas face-to-face. And that’s at the heart of how Roeth tries to live—the gemba way.

Learn about the companies and trucks involved in Run on Less – Electric and follow the Run at https://runonless.com.

 

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This battery pack makes Tesla Roadster 400 lbs lighter, but it ain’t cheap

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This battery pack makes Tesla Roadster 400 lbs lighter, but it ain't cheap

A battery pack manufacturer has released a new solution for Tesla Roadster with aging battery packs. It would slash the car’s weight by about 400 lbs, but it’s not cheap.

In many ways, the Tesla Roadster sparked the electric vehicle revolution.

It was the first commercially available consumer EV with lithium battery cells – enabling over 200 miles of range on a single charge.

The vehicle had comparable or better performance than many other gas-powered vehicles in its segment.

The Roadster had its problem. It was a suboptimal solution as it was still heavily based on the Lotus Elise and not designed from the ground up to be electric, but it did its job as a proof-of-concept.

Tesla only manufactured about 2,000 of them between 2008 and 2011 before moving on to the Model S and other vehicle programs that were built to be electric from the ground up.

Despite being 13 to 16 years old, many Roadsters are still doing well. Electrek’s own Jamie Dow drives his daily. That’s despite Tesla not doing anything with the Roadster program since 2017 when it launched the Roadster 3.0 replacement pack.

Battery technology has improved a lot since then, and a company has decided to take advantage of that and offer a new battery pack for Tesla Roadster owners.

re/cell, a Texas-based supplier of remanufactured battery packs for EVs, has unveiled a new Roadster battery pack that aims to slash hundreds of pounds off of the sports car.

Unlike Tesla’s latest vehicles, which are equipped with skateboard-like platform battery packs, the Roadster has a pack that sits behind the seats in the back and the modules are in the shape seen above.

It does cause problems with balancing the weight of the vehicle.

The pack is able to achieve the Roadster’s peak power output, but it should be a lot more fun to drive by shaving up to 400 lbs off of the car’s original 2,877 lb (1,305 kg) weight.

It does come with a lower energy capacity than the original 53 kWh, but you should be able to achieve very similar range (over 220 miles) thanks to the efficiency gain from the weight loss.

Here are the full specs of re/cell’s new Roadster battery replacement pack:

  • Peak Power Output: 260 kW / 285 kW
  • Weight Savings: up to 400 lbs / 180 kg
  • Volume Savings: 3.7 cu ft / 100 liters
  • Energy Capacity: 38 kWh / 47 kWh
  • Rated Range: 220-240 miles / 350-390 km
  • Cell Type: 18650 / 3500 mAh
  • Cell Configuration: 31p99s / 39p99s

re/cell describes some of the improvements that they were able to make to the pack:

The revolutionary cooling-block design is a single-piece molded core with Palladium-class cooling ribbons for improved cooling and temperature management. The contact area for heat transfer is 50x larger than the cooling tubes used in the original Roadster sheets and the overall surface area for cooling and heating is now more than double. No more vacant cooling voids allowing for hot spots or uneven cooling or heating – the entire cell is now fully encapsulated and temperature controlled!

However, this offer is not going to be for everyone since Roadster owners need to be willing to invest $28,000 in their aging vehicle, which is the price of the pack if you give your existing pack to re/cell.

Interestingly, the company is also thinking about offering other upgrades that can be enabled by space freed up by the new pack.

For example, re/cell believes it would be easier to make the pack capable of DC fast-charging. liquid cooling for the PEM and Motor 

Electrek’s Take

I really enjoyed driving the Roadster 3.0, and I’d be curious to see how much better it would handle with 14% less weight.

There are just no other electric vehicles out there that weigh just 2,400 lbs. Even a Fiat 500e weighs nearly 3,000 lbs.

I can’t wait for small electric sports cars around 2,500 lbs. They should be so much fun and it sounds like this, despite not being designed from the ground up for it, could be an interesting preview.

And there’s not better way to power your electric sports car than with solar. If you want to make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar – whether you’re a homeowner or renter. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, including some who install Tesla products like Powerwalls. They ensure you get high-quality solutions and save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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GM is offering $1,000 off select Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC EV models for Veterans Day

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GM is offering ,000 off select Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC EV models for Veterans Day

GM is honoring those who served our country with a new incentive to go electric. For Veterans Day and through November, GM is offering $1,000 off select Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC EV models. Here’s how you can score some savings this month.

GM EV offers for Veterans Day and November 2024

GM launched a new military appreciation offer this month, offering $1,000 off on select electric models to those who served.

The offer is good on most 2023, 2024, and 2025 electric models from GM’s Chevy, GMC, and Cadillac brands. Electric models included in the deal include the following:

  • 2023, 2024, and 2025 GMC Hummer EV
  • 2023, 2024, and 2025 Cadillac Lyriq
  • 2024, 2025 Chevy Blazer EV
  • 2024, 2025 Chevy Equinox EV
  • 2024, 2025 Chevy Silverado EV
  • 2024, 2025 GMC Sierra EV

Those interested can select their vehicle on GM’s Military Appreciation page. You will then be sent an authorization number, which you can use at a GM dealer.

The program includes Active Duty, Reservists, National Guard members, and Retirees of the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. To validate your military status, you will need to register through ID.me.

GM-EV-Veterans-Day
Chevy Blazer EV (left), Chevy Equinox EV (middle), Chevy Silverado EV (right) (Source: GM)

GM claims it has “the most inclusive military offer from any car company.” After selling a record 32,000 EVs last quarter, GM topped Ford to become America’s number two seller of electric vehicles.

Earlier today, GM announced EV sales in the US broke the 300,000 mark last month since 2016. The company said the sales surge is due to key new models rolling out.

GM-EV-sales-300,000
Chevy Silverado EV LT trim (Source: Chevrolet)

With the lower-priced 2025 Chevy Equinox EV and Silverado EV LT models now arriving at dealerships, GM is poised to see even more demand going into next year.

For non-military members, GM still offers some of the most affordable EVs on the market. You can use our links below to find the best deals on GM’s all-electric models at a dealer near you.

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Coinbase, a16z and others pour more than $78 million into pro-crypto PAC for 2026 election

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Coinbase, a16z and others pour more than  million into pro-crypto PAC for 2026 election

Crypto donor Chris Larsen on why he's giving millions to the Harris campaign

With one day to go until the U.S. general election, crypto companies have already poured tens of millions of dollars into the upcoming 2026 cycle. The pro-crypto and bipartisan super PAC Fairshake said Monday that the committee and its affiliates have raised $78 million for the 2026 midterm elections.

That $78 million breaks down to more than $30 million raised, plus another $48 million in new commitments from centralized crypto exchange Coinbase and Silicon Valley venture fund Andreessen Horowitz, among other companies.

Early Monday, a16z general partner Chris Dixon, who heads up the fund’s crypto book, published a note explaining why the company contributed another $23 million to Fairshake.

“Regardless of what happens in the 2024 elections, we’re committed to supporting policymakers, irrespective of party affiliation, who will work to establish a practical regulatory framework that protects consumers while allowing the industry to grow,” the letter read.

Dixon added that “supporting a PAC like Fairshake is just one crucial part of the strategy needed to achieve our larger policy goals” and that a16z would continue to meet with policymakers on both sides of the aisle to advocate for the industry.

All in, a16z has given $70 million to Fairshake as the VC looks to support the PAC’s larger mission of building a Congress comprised of pro-crypto legislators.

On Wednesday, Coinbase announced it would give another $25 million to Fairshake.

Coinbase, the largest U.S. crypto exchange, was sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission over claims that it engaged in unregistered sales of securities. It’s among Fairshake’s top contributors this cycle. The exchange has given more than $75 million to Fairshake and its affiliated PACs.

“We know we need to have pro-crypto legislation passed in this country,” Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Coinbase shares plummeted 15% after the company reported a miss on the top and bottom lines.

Ripple Labs is another major political donor this cycle that has given around $50 million to Fairshake. A spokesperson said the company committed $25 million both this year and last year and intends to remain a strong force in DC for years to come.

Coinbase's legal chief on crypto's 2024 election spending

Fairshake told CNBC it’s raised around $170 million this cycle and disbursed approximately $135 million.

The majority of the group’s funds can be traced to Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz and Ripple Labs. The remaining balance comes from a mix of companies and individual donors. Armstrong, for example, gave $1 million, while the Winklevoss twins put in $5 million.

Fairshake was launched last year by a consortium of crypto firms and is one of the top-spending PACs in 2024, even against oil companies and banks, which have historically been big political contributors. Nearly half of all the corporate money flowing into the election has come from the crypto industry, according to a report from the nonprofit watchdog group Public Citizen. 

Fairshake’s spending, which has targeted House and Senate races in the 2024 cycle, is effective. Public Citizen’s report found that of the 42 primary races that attracted money from crypto-backed super PACs, 36 were won by the candidate supported by the crypto industry.

Fairshake’s corporate and individual donors want crypto laws passed in the U.S.

Dixon and others say they’re looking for comprehensive market structure legislation for digital assets and a law to govern stablecoins, tokens pegged to the value of a real-world asset that are now virtually synonymous with U.S. dollar-pegged coins.

“Many industries come to DC asking to roll back rules, and we have come to DC asking to establish them,” Dixon wrote in his post Monday.

Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO

Crypto climbs and bitcoin nears all-time high ahead of U.S. election

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