Smart Freight Centre, a global non-profit organization for CO2 reduction in the freight sector, has joined forces with Terawatt Infrastructure to create a new shipper-carrier coalition designed to accelerate heavy-duty electric vehicle deployment on the I-10 corridor between Los Angeles, California and El Paso, Texas.
Major shippers and carriers, specifically AIT Worldwide Logistics, DB Schenker, Maersk, Microsoft, and PepsiCo, have joined this coalition which aims to demonstrate possibilities for fleet emissions reduction and reduce cost parity. Terawatt Infrastructure, which owns, develops, maintains, and operates the charging sites, is providing six of its charging hubs as part of its commitment to the project.
“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,” said Neha Palmer, CEO and Co-Founder of Terawatt. “As we continue to build out the I-10 electric corridor and utilize the recent $63.8M 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.”
Additional goals for the coalition's pilot project is to identify key learnings in order to further develop a wider ecosystem for battery-electric trucks, and to attract more shippers and carriers who are interested in transitioning their fleets to electrification. For its part, Terawatt aims to show these companies the benefits of turn-key solutions for electric transport.
[Related: Zeem Solutions breaks ground on America's largest charging depot]
The timing of this project's launch is ideal as the U.S. government continues to push its National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy, which provides the framework for zero-emission truck adoption and prioritizing the necessary investments, planning, and deployment of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fueling infrastructure.
“Through this coalition, we seek to jointly accelerate the uptake of long-haul EV heavy-duty trucks," added Christoph Wolff, CEO of Smart Freight Centre. "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.”
