Commercial, Distributed Energy Resources, GHG Emissions  -  September 17, 2024

Maersk, Microsoft, PepsiCo Test Heavy-Duty Battery Electric Charging

A new coalition consisting of some of the world’s largest shippers and carriers — including AIT Worldwide Logistics, DB Schenker, Maersk, Microsoft, and PepsiCo — will test long-haul heavy-duty battery-electric vehicle operations along the I-10 corridor between Los Angeles, California, and El Paso, Texas, in the U.S.

Smart Freight Centre, a global non-profit organization focused on climate action in the freight sector, announced the launch of a shipper-carrier coalition to accelerate heavy-duty electric vehicle (EV) deployment. Terawatt Infrastructure will serve as the strategic charging solutions partner for the project, providing infrastructure including software, operations, and maintenance support at six of its owned charging hubs along the I-10 corridor.

Through this collaboration under Smart Freight Centre, the coalition seeks to demonstrate the possibilities for fleet emissions reduction while accelerating long-haul EV deployment and cost parity. By identifying key learnings and developing the wider ecosystem around electric trucks, the pilot aims 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 for electric transport.

The launch of this coalition also aligns with the U.S. government’s National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy, which lays out a framework for zero-emission truck adoption and prioritizes investments, planning and deployment for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fueling infrastructure.

“This collaborative coalition is an important step in advancing electric-powered, heavy-duty fleet transport,” said Cliff Henson, Corporate Vice President of the Microsoft Cloud Supply Chain, in a statement. “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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