Commercial, Distributed Energy Resources, GHG Emissions  -  June 8, 2023

Schneider Provides Zero Emission Electric Charging in California

Schneider National Inc., a provider of transportation, intermodal and logistics services, announced that it completed the construction of an electric charging depot at its South El Monte Intermodal Operations Center in southern California. 

The depot will power its battery electric truck fleet, and Schneider has received approximately a third of its expected fleet. When the company receives all 92 BETs, it will have the potential to avoid more than 81,000 pounds of CO2 emissions daily. 

The charging site is over half the size of a football field, featuring 16 350 kW dual-corded dispensers, thereby allowing the carrier to charge 32 trucks simultaneously. The eCascadias will be able to achieve an 80% charge within 90 minutes.

“Schneider decided to lead the way by building our own depot in South El Monte," said Schneider President and CEO, Mark Rourke, in a statement. “It was important to develop onsite charging because it is the most efficient solution to power our growing electric fleet. We know the future of sustainable transportation includes electric. That is why we invested and collaborated with stakeholders along the supply chain to work together to create this infrastructure and ultimately lower carbon emissions.”

Schneider began making deliveries for Frito-Lay North America and Goodyear using the new eCascadia fleet, supporting each company’s supply chain sustainability goals.

The South El Monte site was funded through the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI), a project funded by state and local agencies to increase the number of zero emission heavy-duty trucks on the roads. Schneider collaborated with clean transportation engineering and construction company, Black & Veatch, to build the site.

Funding for 50 of Schneider’s 92 BETs was made possible by JETSI, the first battery electric truck project jointly funded by the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission, which together awarded the project $27 million. Additional funding was provided by South Coast Air Quality Management District, Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, the Port of Los Angeles, and Southern California Edison. The JETSI project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions.