The first two Freightliner eCascadias are ready. More to come later this year. Series production planned for late 2021.
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced that the first two all-electric Class 8 trucks Freightliner eCascadia were built for customers.
The pilot program is delayed compared to the initial plan of delivering vehicles in 2018 but finally we should now see some progress. The trucks are heading to Southern California, where they will be tested by the Penske Truck Leasing and NFI.
“The eCascadias are destined for the Southern California operations of both companies and will arrive later this month. Additional deliveries of the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet will continue throughout 2019.”
Roger Nielsen, president and CEO of DTNA said:
“This milestone in electric is important as both today and tomorrow’s technology is progressing. Our purpose is resolute – we build for our customers. Our team is incredibly proud to be leading the way for the industry, but prouder still to be working with our customers in a process of co-creation to make real electric trucks for real work in the real world.”
According to Daimler, the Freightliner Cascadia is the best-selling Class 8 heavy-duty truck on the market. The all-electric version with a 550 kWh battery should be able to go 250 miles (400 km) on a charge. The truck is designed for local and regional distribution and drayage.
Series production of a refined version is planned for late 2021.
Freightliner eCascadia (Class 8 tractor) specs:
- up to 730 peak horsepower
- 550 kWh usable battery capacity
- up to 250 miles (400 km) of range
- ability to charge up to 80 percent (providing a range of 200 miles) in about 90 minutes
- 80,000 lb. gross combined weight rating (GCWR)
First Freightliner eCascadia Battery Electric Trucks Headed to Customers
Portland, Ore. – August 12, 2019 – Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) announced today that it has built the first two Class 8 battery electric Freightliner eCascadias for customers at its research and development center in Portland. The trucks are part of Freightliner’s Electric Innovation Fleet and built to test the integration of battery electric trucks in to large-scale fleet operations.
“This milestone in electric is important as both today and tomorrow’s technology is progressing. Our purpose is resolute – we build for our customers,” said Roger Nielsen, president and CEO of DTNA. “Our team is incredibly proud to be leading the way for the industry, but prouder still to be working with our customers in a process of co-creation to make real electric trucks for real work in the real world.”
The eCascadia is built on the proven foundation of the Freightliner Cascadia, the best-selling Class 8 heavy-duty truck on the market. The initial customer shipments are the first heavy-duty additions to the 30-vehicle Freightliner Innovation Fleet. Real-world use of the Innovation Fleet and continuing feedback from the members of the Freightliner Electric Vehicle Council will inform the final production versions of both the eCascadia and the medium-duty Freightliner eM2 in a process of co-creation.
Co-creation is the central tenet of DTNA’s approach to electrifying the future of commercial vehicles and a key enabler to the widespread adoption of battery electric trucks. The Electric Vehicle Council brings together 38 Freightliner customers to identify and address all potential hurdles to large-scale deployment of commercial battery electric vehicles. Issues at the forefront of the discussion include charging infrastructure, partnerships with other parties in the e-mobility value chain, vehicle specifications and vehicle use case.
Penske Truck Leasing of Reading, Pennsylvania and NFI of Camden, New Jersey are both members of the Freightliner Electric Vehicle Council and will be the first companies to employ the revolutionary eCascadia in their commercial operations. The eCascadias are destined for the Southern California operations of both companies and will arrive later this month. Additional deliveries of the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet will continue throughout 2019.
The Freightliner Innovation Fleet is supported by a partnership between DTNA and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) which focuses on improving air quality in the South Coast Basin and partially funded the Innovation Fleet with a nearly $16M grant. The first of the medium-duty electric Freightliner eM2s began service earlier this year with Penske Truck Leasing and are operated within the South Coast AQMD.
“This is an exciting time for the future of zero-emissions trucks, said Wayne Nastri, South Coast AQMD’s Executive Officer. “As we work towards meeting air quality standards, it is imperative that truck manufacturers accelerate the commercialization of these technologies that will help clean our air and protect public health.”
e-Mobility at Daimler Trucks
The Freightliner eCascadia is a Class 8 tractor designed for local and regional distribution and drayage. Both the eCascadia and the medium-duty eM2 are currently planned to enter series production in late 2021. The Freightliner eCascadia and eM2 are part of Daimler Trucks’ global electrified truck initiative, joining the company’s Thomas Built Buses all-electric Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley school bus, the FUSO eCanter, and the Mercedes-Benz eActros and eCitaro.