A coalition announced Monday it will test long-haul, heavy-duty battery electric vehicle operations along I-10 between Los Angeles and El Paso, Texas.
The coalition, headed by Smart Freight Centre, includes AIT Worldwide Logistics, DB Schenker, Maersk, Microsoft and PepsiCo. Terawatt Infrastructure will serve as the strategic charging solutions partner with six charging hubs along the corridor.
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"This collaborative coalition is an important step in advancing electric-powered, heavy-duty fleet transport," says Cliff Henson, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Cloud Supply Chain. "As Microsoft works toward our ambitious carbon-neutral goals, implementing a sustainable logistics framework is a critical factor. The I-10 corridor pilot is a key part of building this framework and we're excited to be at the forefront of an electric-powered evolution in logistics."
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The collaboration seeks to demonstrate the possibilities for fleet emissions reduction while accelerating long-haul EV deployment and cost parity, Smart Freight Centre says. The pilot will develop a wider ecosystem around electric trucks and identify key areas for learning, aiming to attract other shippers and carriers to embark on their electrification transition at scale and encourage technology providers to accelerate development of turn-key solutions.
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"To electrify trucking on a meaningful scale, all stakeholders need to invest in expanding the electric grid for charging capabilities," says Charles van der Steene, regional president for Maersk North America. "With our ambition to reach net zero by 2040, we're committed to being part of collaborative efforts like these, which help move us toward our goal and allow us to offer customers a pathway toward a decarbonized alternative for trucking."
The launch of the coalition aligns with the U.S. government's National Zero Emission Freight Corridor Strategy, a framework for zero-emission truck adoption. The plan prioritizes investments, planning and deployment for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fueling infrastructure.
"This project represents more than a pilot for heavy-duty EV operations; it puts forward a concrete roadmap to scaling fleet electrification into a full ecosystem," says Neha Palmer, CEO and cofounder of Terawatt. "As we continue to build out the I-10 electric corridor and utilize the recent $63.8 million in grant funding alongside NMDOT to develop reliable charging infrastructure solutions, we have a historic opportunity to work with global leaders who share our vision and investment into the sustainable future of mobility."
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Smart Freight Centre is a global nonprofit for climate action in the freight sector. Its goal is to mobilize the global logistics ecosystem in tracking and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It aims to accelerate the reduction of logistics emissions to achieve a zero-emission global logistics sector by 2050 or earlier, consistent with 1.5-degree pathways.
"Truck electrification is one of the most impactful strategies to decarbonize logistics. Leading governments are setting clear regulator standards that will accelerate zero-emission trucks, in particular in Europe and the U.S., spearheaded by California and other progressive states," says Christoph Wolff, CEO of the Smart Freight Centre. "Through this coalition, we seek to jointly accelerate the uptake of long-haul EV heavy-duty trucks. Together with Terawatt and other coalition partners, we look forward to accelerating freight decarbonization and proving that the electric truck corridor can promptly become operational at low volumes and rapidly scale up afterwards."
