Private passenger car owners may still be undecided about buying an electric car, but in the world of commerce, the EV revolution has already been won as fleet managers rush to reap the benefits of battery-operated vehicles, namely greatly reduced cost of fuel and maintenance. Electric semi trucks are enjoying a surge of new orders in both the US and Europe.
800 eCascadia Electric Semi Trucks For Sysco
Sysco is one of the largest food suppliers to restaurants in America. It has recently signed a letter of intent with Daimler Truck North America to add 800 Freightliner eCascadia Class 8 electric semi trucks to its US fleet between now and 2026, when it says 35% of its fleet will be electric. It has been testing the zero emissions trucks for over a year and has seen the benefits first hand. In a press release, Marie Robinson, the chief supply chain officer for Sysco says,
“Sysco is committed to making meaningful investments to support achievement of our climate goals, including those that encourage the development of electric tractors and trailers. We are eager to partner with a like-minded industry leader like Daimler Truck North America to deploy battery electric trucks nationwide. This investment shows our commitment to sustainability and growing responsibly and will ultimately help us meet our goal of reducing our direct carbon emissions by 27.5 percent by 2030.”
The Freightliner eCascadia was officially unveiled at the ACT Expo 2022 event in California and our own Jo Borras was on hand at that event to report on the blossoming field of battery-electric heavy trucks. The eCascadia will be manufactured in Portland, Oregon.
“At Daimler Truck North America, we are proud to enter into a new era of sustainable, safe and efficient commercial transportation with our friends at Sysco,” said Daimler sales and marketing chief David Carson. “Industry transformation requires leadership and collaboration, and a shared vision for the future of the supply chain. Together we are sustaining our mutual momentum toward a brighter future for us all.”
110 Scania Electric Semi Trucks For Einride
Image courtesy of Scania
Einride is a Swedish logistics company that offers digital management solutions for freight companies. It is committed to using electric vehicles to support its mission. Recently, it entered into an agreement with Maersk to add 300 battery-electric Class 8 trucks to its freight operations in the US. Now, it has inked a new agreement with Scania to add 110 electric semis to its fleet in Europe. Scania is part of the Traton Group, which is owned by Volkswagen.
In a press release, Einride and Scania say the fleet of electric trucks will be built to Einride’s hardware specifications and will feature its Saga operating system that optimizes logistics operations to make them as efficient as possible. Data from the Saga platform will be provided to Scania for continued product co-development between the teams.
“We are looking forward to the beginning of this vital partnership as we expand across Europe. These 110 trucks will make a substantial contribution to increasing our fleet, while we will continue to join forces with renowned industry players such as Scania to drive innovation and product development in the global transport industry,” says Ellen Kugelberg, chief product officer for Einride.
This latest order for electric semi trucks is the largest yet for Scania in Europe. It is also only the beginning of a new long term partnership that will contribute to the ambition of both companies to scale up electric road freight. “We share the same vision of decarbonizing heavy transport. It has been rewarding to work with Einride on joint new technical solutions and digital services that will sustainably advance our industry,” says Fredrik Allard, head of e-mobility for Scania. The fleet of 110 Scania trucks will be implemented throughout Europe during 2022 and the first half of 2023.
The Takeaway
These companies are not investing in electric semi trucks for political reasons or because they like their styling. They are doing it first and foremost because the total cost of ownership strongly favors them. The fact they help lower carbon emissions is nice, too.
One big difference between commercial trucks and passenger cars is that the daily driving chores of a truck are highly predictable, so charging infrastructure can be tailored to their precise needs. Typically, the majority of charging will take place at a freight terminal every night while the trucks are parked instead of along a given route using public charging equipment.
The use case of an electric truck is different than for a private passenger car. That makes it easier for fleet managers to decide that going electric is the smartest and most economical choice.
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Source: https://cleantechnica.com/2022/05/23/more-electric-semi-trucks-coming-to-us-europe/
