Daimler AG's Freightliner subsidiary delivered the first battery-electric medium-truck truck to Penske for testing.
Daimler AG has pushed ahead with its plans to sell electric trucks as Freightliner, its North American subsidiary, delivered its first medium-duty battery-electric truck to a customer in the U.S.
Penske Truck Leasing, which is operated long-time Daimler ally, Roger Penske, plans to operate the electric truck in local distribution traffic in the Northwest Pacific and in California, Daimler announced
With the delivery of the Freightliner eM2, Daimler Trucks is starting day-to-day operational testing of heavy-duty and medium-duty e-trucks in the United States, Daimler said.
In the course of 2019, Penske Truck Leasing Corporation will receive in total 20 fully-electric Freightliner trucks: 10 medium-duty eM2 and 10 eCascadia for heavy-duty transportation. In total, the Freightliner’s innovation fleet will include 30 vehicles. The electric vehicles are expected to go into production 2021, according to Daimler.
(FedEx to add 1,000 Chinese EV vans to delivery fleet. Click Here for the story.)
Freightliner is part of Daimler's e-mobility program.
“Penske is honored to be the first company to put this new medium-duty electric truck into service,” said Brian Hard, President and CEO of Penske Truck Leasing.
“I commend and thank Roger Nielsen and his team at Daimler Trucks North America for their outstanding collaboration and spirit of co-creation with us over the last nine months to bring this innovative technology to market. Penske is committed to providing the most effective vehicle technologies to our customers and driving innovation and sustainability when it comes to mobility.”
(Click Here for more about Mercedes’ new Sprinter plant.)
“We aim to be frontrunners with electric trucks just as we are with conventional trucks – and we deliver on this objective once again,” said Martin Daum, Daimler Board Member responsible for Trucks and Buses.
“With the hand-over of our Freightliner eM2 to Penske Truck Leasing Corporation, we now test electric trucks in all segments in day to day operations with our clients worldwide. When it comes to innovations the demands of our customers are pivotal for us. Together we develop solutions for the future of trucks.”
(To see more about Daimler AG’s restructuring plans, Click Here.)
Daum added Daimler’s truck units was preparing to make more announcements at the next month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.