How can a company to prove confidence in its products? When it comes to Daimler Trucks the proof was in use of its new eCascadia electric semi-truck.
Daimler put its money right where its mouth is by using its own electric semi-trucks to bring auto parts around the American Northwest. Daimler is based in Portland, Oregon, and launched the eCascadia under the Freightliner name. This well-known truck name is only one of the many Daimler heavy-duty commercial vehicle brands. In 2022, Daimler launched four eCascadias to carry aftermarket parts across the Northwest.
Charging takes place at the headquarters
Several companies have been exploring the use of electric semi-trucks to replace the diesel-powered beasts that drive the American roadways every year. While the eCascadia isn’t ready to replace the long-haul versions of these massive road warriors, these new Freightliner-branded trucks can handle the final 250 miles of the drive. The eCascadia trucks can be equipped with either a 315 or 475-kWh battery pack and can carry up to 65,000 pounds of gross vehicle weight. Using four of these trucks to carry parts around the Pacific Northwest is proof of concept for these impressive electric semis.
A carbon neutral factory
The Daimler trucks factory where the eCascadia is built has achieved carbon-neutral production. This occurred in 2020, using production with reduced energy consumption and the offset of onsite emissions to reach this goal. The carbon-neutral production process is another proof of concept and will be incorporated in other Daimler factories by 2025. This allows the company to push closer to this goal before the end of the decade, leading the way for other semi-truck manufacturers to follow along and provide similar results at their production facilities.
Where did the eCascadia come from?
Instead of an all-electric platform for this new electric semi-truck, Daimler built the new eCascadia on a current platform, using the most popular in the Freightliner series. Sharing a platform with the diesel-powered Cascadia enables the new electric semi to enjoy becoming a fantastic new truck to carry parts to customers around the Northwest. This new truck provides customers with a zero-emission delivery, adding to the goal of many companies to be more eco-friendly. These new trucks can run freight in the real-world applications and could be used for food delivery, parcel distribution, and local delivery services.
Sysco receives Freightliner eCascadia trucks
The food service industry could benefit from the new eCascadia trucks. After these Daimler trucks proved they could carry the load, several Class 8 models have been delivered to Sysco to aid in regional food delivery services. These new trucks will work at the Riverside, California site, with more trucks heading to this plant. Using electric trucks for regional delivery services enables Sysco to move towards its goal of electrifying at least 35% of its fleet by 2030.
Why should companies have confidence in the eCascadia?
In addition to being built on the most popular semi-truck platform, the eCascadia has more than enough miles under its proverbial belt to prove it can get the job done. This semi has been in pre-production and testing since 2018 and accumulated more than 1.5 million miles of testing before being sent to customer fleets. Since that time, these trucks have logged more than 1.5 million miles more making it easy to see how these trucks can fit into the market and work for many customers. This new electric semi pushes the boundaries of trucking toward the future.
This Daimler product keeps things moving
Daimler Trucks developed the Freightliner eCascadia to be useful and capable in the real world. Part of this goal is a short charging time for the truck. This semi can recharge to 80% full in only 90 minutes, which could make it easy to get the truck charged while it’s being loaded for the next short haul run. The limited driving range makes it perfect for regional deliveries from a local distribution center.
The eCascadia is also reported to be quiet, comfortable, and powerful, making it a great choice for many delivery companies that need to deliver goods to various locations.
Sysco may be one of the first companies to use the new Freightliner eCascadia, but they won’t be the last to turn to these Daimler trucks to get things done. Sysco plans to have 800 eCascadias in operation by 2026, which means these Freightliner electric semi-trucks could become a regular part of our daily lives on the road.
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