Such a system has to be lightweight, power efficient and relatively low cost to appeal to the fleet operators. A study done by Bergstrom Inc. shows that fleet's believe such a system would average eight hours of use per day. Besides reducing fuel and maintenance costs, the government might be willing to provide incentives to the fleets in the form of clean air credits. For the other needs on the truck, a simple inverter can provide enough 12-volt power to run the accessories, and it would recharge the truck's batteries at the same time. OEM's already offer a shore power kit consisting of an inverter and electrical connection.
Some utilities are also interested in supporting truck stop electrification.
Southern California Edison and Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. are both developing pilot projects to test the feasibility of the idea. Besides being an additional revenue stream for the power providers, they also see it as an excellent way to help reduce emissions, reduce fuel consumption, and reduce noise levels. There seems to be some strong interest developing for this idea, but it's going to take a sustained push from all the involved parties to get anything moving.