Schneider is going to deliver 100 Class 8 battery-electric vehicles (BEV) from Daimler Truck North America (DTNA). Schneider’s first Freightliner eCascadias assembly is taking place at the Portland, Oregon, DTNA plant. They expect all 92 BEVs to start operating by the end of 2023. The intermodal operations will take place in Southern California.
“The integration of nearly 100 zero-emission vehicles is an important milestone for Schneider as we are moving beyond the battery electric truck testing phase to running an operation at scale. In combination with rail movement, we can offer our intermodal customers meaningful emissions reduction value by utilizing BEV dray trucks,” said Schneider President and CEO Mark Rourke.
Previously, Schneider placed an order for 62 eCascadias and added another 30 BEVs to the demand from DTNA. Therefore, Schnieder created the most prominent electric fleets in North America with zero emissions. The eCascadias have the power to avoid 18,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per day. Therefore, this is equal to removing 2,400 gas-powered cars from the road yearly. This is a very essential step for the company toward meeting its sustainability goals. Goals such as zero-emission vehicles and reducing Co2 per-mile emissions by 7.5% by 2025 and 60% by 2035. However, they already reached their goal by accomplishing 50% of their 2025 goal by reducing 5% emissions per mile.
“As the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer, we are fully committed to reducing emissions with our vehicles and moving the commercial transportation industry into a more sustainable future. We are proud to share the same vision with Schneider and partner closely with them on integrating eCascadias into their fleet,” stated DTNA Senior Vise President Sales and Marketing, David Carson.
Class 8 trucks are the most problematic to convert to e-mobility. They open questions about battery capacity, charging logistics, and duration. Therefore, a few weeks ago, Tesla revealed their new all-electric Semi model in central California. The drivers who tested the eCascadias really enjoyed driving the truck.
Schneider expects all 92 BEVs to start operating in its fleet by the end of 2023.
