Maersk Plans to Deploy 300 Electric Trucks in North America by 2025
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
A.P. Moller-Maersk is building out its electric heavy-duty truck fleet with two announcements involving Einride and BYD, and, separately, Volvo Trucks North America.
Maersk intends to add 300 electric trucks to its North American network between 2023 and 2025, including BYD-made heavy-duty trucks using Einride’s digital road freight operating system. In February, Swedish freight technology company Einride purchased 200 Class 8 8TT battery-electric day cab trucks for deployment across the United States in what Einride called BYD’s largest-ever order of its kind outside of Asia.
At the same time, VTNA announced Maersk placed the largest order to date for VTNA’s Class 8 electric trucks, making a commitment to purchase 126 Volvo VNR Electric trucks.
Expanding our electric truck fleet with a great partner in @VolvoTrucksNA #greentransition https://t.co/J0vqEQZqoz — Vincent Clerc (@VincentClerc_m) March 29, 2022
Copenhagen, Denmark-based Maersk noted its long-term goal in North America is to move toward a fully electric fleet to offer customers an environmentally friendly alternative for shorthaul trucking.
The connected electric trucks from BYD, charging stations and connectivity services will be integrated using Einride’s data-driven operating system, Saga.
The initial trucks are Class 8 8TT Gen 3 vehicles manufactured by BYD. Maersk, which has invested in Einride, will initiate the first large-scale use of Einride’s digital road freight operating system.
Einride’s U.S. headquarters is in New York City. The company provides freight mobility solutions, including autonomous pods.
We’re excited to announce our partnership with @Maersk, which marks one of the largest operational contracts for electric heavy duty road freight deployment to date!
⇢ https://t.co/RHKi0OGRP9 ⇠#electricvehicles #electrictrucks — Einride (@einrideofficial) March 24, 2022
The heavy-duty trucks — from BYD and VTNA — will be used by Maersk’s North American warehousing, distribution and transportation business called Performance Team, a company Maersk acquired in April 2020.
Maersk’s El Segundo, Calif.-based Performance Team operates more than 60 distribution and fulfillment center locations in North America and transportation services, complemented by Maersk’s recent e-commerce logistics acquisition activities. The intended acquisition of Pilot Freight Services, which is under regulatory review prior to closing in the second quarter, will add 87 locations serving first-, middle- and last-mile logistics across the U.S.
Clerc
“Today’s order is an important step in building our end-to-end, land-side decarbonization foundation while also addressing customers’ inland transportation pain points,” Vincent Clerc, CEO of ocean and logistics for A.P. Moller-Maersk, said in a release. “Maersk has a comprehensive decarbonization plan in motion for our ocean activities, which represent 93% of all company-related emissions. This order marks the expansion of our ambitions to cover all services across transport modes.”
Maersk has made a commitment to be net-zero across its business and value chain by 2040, with 100% green solutions for its customers.
Falck
“This is one of the biggest deals ever made to make transportation sustainable, and it comes at a critical time,” Einride CEO Robert Falck said in a release. “Not only is the road freight industry responsible for close to 8% of all global CO2 emissions — a number that will continue to grow if cost-effective change is not made today — but you also have a world that is more aware than ever before about the urgent need to shift to electric. I admire Maersk for its boldness in leading the way — for standing out in its commitments as a shipper to tangibly make the transition happen.”
Most recently, Performance Team ordered an additional 110 Volvo VNR Electric trucks to scale up its zero-tailpipe emission freight logistics fleet this year. It placed its first order of 16 Volvo VNR Electrics in Q3 2021 and will begin operating them in the second quarter this year in its Southern California fleet serving port drayage and warehouse distribution routes. All 126 trucks are scheduled for deployment by the first quarter next year.
Voorhoeve
“Volvo Trucks, in partnership with our dealer TEC Equipment, is excited to continue growing our collaboration with Maersk on its fleet-sustainability goals and commends the organization’s scaled investments in electromobility solutions,” VTNA President Peter Voorhoeve said in a release.
TEC Equipment is Volvo Trucks’ largest West Coast dealership and the first to achieve the Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle Dealer designation in North America in 2021, VTNA noted.
In January, Volvo Trucks announced production plans for its next-generation VNR Electric model with an operational range of up to 275 miles. The enhanced Volvo VNR Electric comes with 250-kilowatt charging capability, enabling an 80% charge in 90 minutes for the six-battery package and 60 minutes for the four-battery version.
"Our customers are looking for tangible actions on sustainable supply chains, not just conceptual,” Clerc said.
Maersk ranks No. 4 on the Transport Topics Top 50 list of the largest global freight carriers.
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing below or go here for more info:
