Freightliner sells 250 electric trucks to Pride Group Enterprises
Pride Group Enterprises, a North American logistics operator, ordered 250 heavy-duty electric trucks from Daimler Truck’s Freightliner brand. The trucks will join the company’s fleet in 2023 and pose the next step to complete electrification Pride has targeted at the latest in 2024.
The Freightliner order includes 200 eCascadia and 50 eM2s trucks, with deliveries beginning mid-2023. Pride Group plans to completely electrify its delivery fleet within the next one or two years.
Last year, the company already ordered 6,320 e-delivery vehicles from Workhorse. The order must be fulfilled by 2026 since Workhorse has yet to scale production.
For Daimler Trucks, however, Freightliner unveiled the eCascadia series vehicle in May. Production will start later this year at the company’s Portland factory in Oregon. The eM2 is scheduled to roll off the lines next year.
At the same time, eCascadia test vehicles have been in real-life operations with potential customers since August 2019. As a result, orders have been adding up for Daimler’s US truck outlet before launch. Freightliner counts Walmart among its EV clients and US food delivery company Sysco, which could take up to 800 e-trucks as reported.
Pride Group Enterprises, too had tested the Daimler electric trucks before placing the order. Sam Johal, Pride’s President, said he was “very confident to bring these trucks into our lineup. With the improved range of 230 miles prior to recharge, these trucks will be a great asset. These units easily manage 10-14-hour trips — a regular driving day.”
Customers generally choose between three battery options, 194 kWh, 291 kWh and now 440 kWh, for a max range of 370 kilometres. While not explicitly stated, the above quote points to PGE having chosen the biggest battery pack. Freightliner quotes a charging time of 120 minutes at a fast-charging station for the said power pack.
The eCascadia, at 37.2 tonnes gross vehicle weight (40 tons), has an electric axle drive developed in the USA by the Daimler subsidiary Detroit ePowertrain. It is available with a single or dual motor.
Pride Group Enterprises will offer the new e-trucks for short- and long-term rental through TPine Truck Rental in both the United States and Canada. Customers can rent just the truck or an EV-trained and licensed driver.
Since Tesla keeps delaying the Semi truck, the US market is hot to get its hand on rivalling vehicles. Apart from Freightliner, there is also Nikola and its battery-electric Tre. Daimler Trucks is also working with Cummins on the Cascadia series with a fuel cell powertrain to launch in North America in 2024.
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