CDL instructors and Career & Technical Education students recently got an up-close look at an electric semi-truck at the Hewes Educational Center.
The special visit was coordinated by Adult Education through Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES and included a Peterbilt Model 579EV from Hunter Truck of Buffalo.
“These trucks are already on the road. We need to start thinking about training the next generation of the workforce,” said William Smock, Director of Adult & Community Education at E2CCB.
During the visit, Hunter Truck representatives Matthew Miller and Jerrid Bradley showcased the EV semi to Hewes CDL instructors Scott Dibble and John Spacht. Juniors enrolled in the Automotive Technology, Automotive Body Repair, and Conservation/Natural Resource Management programs also had the opportunity to check out the truck.
Leo Fial, Director of P-TECH, CTE & Program Innovation, also stopped by to inspect the semi.
According to specifications by Peterbilt, the 579EV features a battery-electric system that provides efficient operation and lower overall maintenance; uses stored energy for propulsion and other power requirements; and is ideal for regional haul and drayage applications, in part because the frequent starts and stops engage the regenerative braking system.
“Because one of the Adult Education CDL programs is based at Hewes, we thought it would be great to bring the truck here so our instructors could get a close look and learn more about it,” Smock said. “It was also great being able to share the experience with the Auto Tech, Auto Body, and Conservation students.”
Smock said Adult Education is exploring the possibility of adding the EV truck to its CDL fleet; he noted that grants are available that could help offset some of the costs.
Auto Tech instructors Stephen Reed and Joseph Pitts thanked Smock, Fial, and Hewes CTE Principal Paul Mihalko for spearheading the visit and allowing their students to get an up-close look at the EV semi.
“It was great just having the students be able to come out and identify the different components of the truck,” Reed said. “It’s pretty similar to an electric car, just much larger.”
Added Pitts, “It’s a big benefit to the students being able to look at it because that is the way the industry is trending. We are going to have electric vehicles, and many of these students are going to be working on them at some point.”
To learn more about the CDL program at E2CCB, click here.
