PepsiCo, Maersk, Others Team Up on Electric Truck Pilot
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A high-powered coalition including tech leader Microsoft, beverage behemoth PepsiCo and logistics powerhouses Maersk, DB Schenker and AIT Worldwide is spearheading efforts to electrify the Interstate 10 trucking corridor.
Its focus: developing charging infrastructure for longhaul battery-electric trucks on I-10 between Los Angeles and El Paso, Texas. That route links the nation’s busiest ports to the second-busiest border crossing.
“This collaborative coalition is an important step in advancing electric-powered, heavy-duty fleet transport,” said Cliff Henson, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Cloud Supply Chain. “As Microsoft works toward our ambitious carbon-neutral goals, implementing a sustainable logistics framework is a critical factor. The I-10 corridor pilot is a key part of building this framework, and we’re excited to be at the forefront of an electric-powered evolution in logistics.”
PepsiCo ranks No. 2 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest private fleet carriers in North America. The soft drinks and snack giant held the No. 1 spot among private fleets for 14 consecutive years through 2023. PepsiCo operates 11,618 tractors in North America, according to TT data.
Maersk ranks No. 5 on the TT Top 50 list of the largest global freight carriers. The Danish company opened a 402,000-square-foot warehouse in El Paso earlier in September with 73 dock doors. Overall, Maersk operates more than 26 million square feet of warehousing space across North America.
I-10 highlighted in red. The electric truck initiative will focus on the western-most third. (Wikimedia)
“To electrify trucking on a meaningful scale, all stakeholders need to invest in expanding the electric grid for charging capabilities,” said Maersk North America Regional President Charles van der Steene. “With our ambition to reach net zero by 2040, we’re committed to being part of collaborative efforts like these, which help move us toward our goal and allow us to offer customers a pathway toward a decarbonized alternative for trucking.”
DB Schenker ranks No. 25 on the TT Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies in North America. On Sept. 13, DSV announced it had bought DB Schenker, creating the world’s largest freight forwarder. Maersk dropped out of the race for DB Schenker in July.
DSV A/S (North America) ranks No. 10 on the TT Top 100 logistics companies list. It ranks No. 14 on the TT Top 50 global freight carriers list. AIT ranks No. 35 on the logistics list.
The shippers and carriers are teaming up with the Smart Freight Centre, a global nonprofit organization focused on climate action in the freight sector, for the coalition.
TeraWatt Infrastructure will serve as the strategic charging solutions partner for the project, providing infrastructure, including software, operations and maintenance support, at six of its charging hubs along the I-10 corridor.
Palmer
“This project represents more than a pilot for heavy-duty EV operations; it puts forward a concrete road map to scaling fleet electrification into a full ecosystem,” TeraWatt CEO Neha Palmer said.
The I-10 corridor is part of the first phase of the U.S. government’s National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy.
The Federal Highway Administration awarded the New Mexico Department of Transportation $63.8 million to build two medium- and heavy-duty truck charging corridors along I-10 in February. TeraWatt will design, build, operate and own the facilities.
TeraWatt broke ground on its first heavy-duty charging facility in November 2023 about 15 miles north of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. PepsiCo was already on board as a committed customer for its last-mile delivery charging in the Los Angeles area.
PepsiCo has often been at the forefront of longhaul battery-electric truck development in the U.S., notably as the primary tester of Tesla’s long-awaited Class 8 Semi tractor. The truck, which has a much longer range than many battery-electric trucks on the market, is expected to start rolling off Tesla’s Reno, Nev., assembly line in late 2025.
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