Daimler Trucks North America Delivers Its First Battery-Electric Commercial Truck to Penske Truck Leasing

Daimler Trucks North America CEO Roger Nielsen delivers the first Freightliner eM2 electric commercial vehicle to Penske Truck Leasing CEO Brian Hard. The eM2 is the first of the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet that Penske will use in California and the Pacific Northwest.

On December 20, 2018, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) delivered the first vehicle in its Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet – a Freightliner eM2 – to Penske Truck Leasing, fulfilling its promise to put an electric commercial truck in customer hands in 2018. The delivery marks a milestone in the real-world application of battery-electric commercial vehicles, as well as an important step towards emissions-free mobility.
Roger Nielsen, president and CEO of DTNA, ceremonially handed over the eM2 key to Brian Hard, president and CEO of Penske Truck Leasing, during an event in Carson, California.
“With increased hauling demands and regulatory pressures, combined with ongoing concerns over energy resource depletion, it is more important than ever that DTNA continues to rigorously test and research electric vehicle solutions together with our customers,” said Nielsen. “Electric commercial vehicles present a real opportunity to advance the ideal of emissions-free mobility while improving our customers’ real cost of ownership (RCO).”
As the first step in its infrastructure deployment, Penske Truck Leasing will install 20 high-power charging stations across five of its California locations. This year, Penske will put an additional nine medium-duty electric eM2 trucks and 10 heavy-duty eCascadia electric trucks into targeted service in California and the Pacific Northwest. Penske will place the electric vehicles into service within its logistics, truck leasing and truck rental fleets.
Earlier this year, DTNA formed the Freightliner Electric Vehicle Council composed of 30 customers with strong use-cases for electric trucks, including Penske Truck Leasing, to further drive its sustainable transportation program. The company is working with the council members to ensure a holistic approach to launching electric trucks. Members of the customer council benefit from co-development of deployment strategies for battery electric vehicles including applicable use cases, current legislation and requirements for facilities, charging infrastructure and service support.