Contact: fred.ligouri@daimler.com
Portland, Ore. – July 31, 2020 – Freightliner announced today that its Innovation Fleet has accumulated more than 300,000 miles in real-world use by customers. The Innovation Fleet is a 30-vehicle fleet of battery electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks testing integration of the technology into large-scale commercial transportation operations.
“Co-creation with our customers is a cornerstone of Freightliner’s unique approach to the market,” said Richard Howard, senior vice president, On-highway sales and marketing for DTNA. “The knowledge and expertise our logistics customers have in fleet operations with their thousands of trucks is invaluable as we design and engineer the zero emissions future of the commercial vehicle. Crossing the threshold of 300,000 miles of testing, then one million miles, then more - together - before we begin series production of battery electric trucks will ensure we deliver the performance and reliability our customers count on and which has made Freightliner the undisputed leader in commercial trucks.”
The Freightliner Innovation Fleet is supported by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) which focuses on improving air quality in the South Coast Basin of Southern California and partially funded the project. The fleet includes 10 eM2s and 20 eCascadias testing in a variety of applications, including drayage, regional and local delivery, food distribution, and parcel delivery. The 300,000 local emissions-free miles logged by the fleet represent the equivalent mileage to complete:
· 5660 one-way trips between the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to the warehousing centers of California's Inland Empire.
· 2500 trips to complete the average local distribution run.
· 41 trips to travel to all 10 DTNA parts distribution centers located in North America.
· 12 trips to circle the globe.
In an industry whose product development cycles typically extend seven years, Freightliner has an ambitious timeline for bringing commercial battery electric products to market which includes:
June, 2018
· Freightliner unveils concept eCascadia and eM2.
· Daimler Trucks establishes global E-Mobility Group to consolidate electric vehicle research and development.
· Freightliner announces the Innovation Fleet comprised of 10 eM2s and 20 eCascadias and names Penske Truck Leasing (Penske) and NFI as partners for deployment.
October, 2018
· Freightliner convenes first meeting of the Electric Vehicle Council to collaborate with customers interested in fleet electrification.
December, 2018
· The first eM2 is delivered to Penske.
April, 2019
· DTNA announces electric vehicle manufacturing will include assembly at Portland Truck Manufacturing Plant in Portland, Oregon.
August, 2019
· The first eCascadias are delivered to Penske and NFI.
March, 2020
· Freightliner announces the Customer Experience Fleet and plans to add six eCascadias and two eM2s to a pre-series testing fleet for rotational use by 14 customers.
July, 2020
· Freightliner Innovation Fleet logs 300,000 miles of real-world use.
The planned start of series production for the Freightliner eCascadia is mid-2022, and the planned start of series production for the Freightliner eM2 is late 2022.
About Freightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 5–8 trucks and is a Daimler company, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. More information is available at www.Freightliner.com.
About Daimler Trucks North America
Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. It manufactures, sells, and services commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Western Star, Detroit, and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Daimler Trucks North America is a Daimler company.
About Penske Truck Leasing
Penske Truck Leasing is a Penske Transportation Solutions company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. A leading global transportation services provider, Penske Truck Leasing operates more than 327,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 1,100 locations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Product lines include full-service truck leasing, contract maintenance, commercial and consumer truck rentals, used truck sales, transportation and warehousing management and supply chain management solutions. Visit www.pensketruckleasing.com to learn more.
About NFI
NFI is a fully integrated North American supply chain solutions provider headquartered in Camden, N.J. Privately held by the Brown family since its inception in 1932, NFI generates more than $2 billion in annual revenue and employs over 13,000 associates. NFI owns facilities globally and operates more than 50 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space. Its dedicated fleet consists of over 3,000 tractors and 12,500 trailers operated by 3,000 company drivers and leveraging partnerships with 400 owner operators. NFI has a significant drayage presence at nearly every major U.S. port, leveraging the services of an additional 1,500 owner operators. The company’s business lines include dedicated transportation, distribution, brokerage, transportation management, port drayage, intermodal, global logistics, and real estate. For more information about NFI, visit www.nfiindustries.com or call 1-877-NFI-3777.
About the South Coast AQMD
South Coast AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including the Coachella Valley. For news,air quality alerts, event updates and more, please visit us at www.aqmd.gov, download our award-winning app, or follow us at @SouthCoastAQMD on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
