First eCascadia Models Set to Begin Commercial Operations
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Daimler Trucks North America announced Penske Truck Leasing and NFI will be the first companies to employ its battery-electric eCascadia in commercial operations.
Penske Truck Leasing is based in Reading, Pa., and NFI has headquarters in Camden, N.J. Both are members of the Freightliner Electric Vehicle Council and earlier were the first to be given trucks to test.
The initial customer shipments are the first heavy-duty additions to the 30-vehicle Freightliner Innovation Fleet. They were built at its research and development center in Portland, Ore.
Welcoming the newest addition to our Innovation Fleet, the all-electric @freightliner #eCascadia. Real trucks for the real world.
Learn more: https://t.co/BYd93SlTHi#leadingthecharge #emobility #electric #freightliner #freightlinertrucks pic.twitter.com/URKDcFCAsn — Daimler Trucks NA (@DaimlerTrucksNA) August 12, 2019
The eCascadias — built on the foundation of the Freightliner Cascadia, the best-selling Class 8 heavy-duty truck on the market — are destined for the Southern California operations of both companies and will arrive later in August. Additional deliveries of the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet will continue throughout 2019. according to Portland-based DTNA.
“Our team is incredibly proud to be leading the way for the industry, but prouder still to be working with our customers in a process of co-creation to make real electric trucks for real work in the real world,” Roger Nielsen, CEO of DTNA, said in a company release.
DTNA’s Electric Vehicle Council brings together 38 Freightliner customers to identify and address potential hurdles to large-scale deployment of commercial battery-electric vehicles. Issues at the forefront of the discussion include charging infrastructure, partnerships with other parties in the e-mobility value chain, vehicle specifications and vehicle use case. — Transport Topics
