Electric truck adoption

Dive Brief:

• PepsiCo expects to save close to $1 million in fuel costs to charge its fleet of 50 semitrucks located at its bottling facility in Fresno, California, according to an April 28 press release.
• Through Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Flex Connect program, PepsiCo now has access to daytime charging. PG&E is also upping charging capacity for the food and beverage company’s site from 3 megawatts to 4.5 megawatts.
• If the energy provided was static or “without Flex Connect, we would actually be limited to only charging overnight, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. We would be completely cut off the majority of the day,” Dejan Antunovic, electrification program manager at PepsiCo, told Trucking Dive in an interview.

Dive Insight:

The additional megawatts through Flex Connect enables PepsiCo to increase its charging capabilities from 30 trucks to its full fleet of 50 EV trucks, helping maintain its operation with ease, Antunovic said.

On the logistics side, “we've been able to operate in a very similar fashion if we had 6 megawatts versus 4.5,” Antunovic added.

Charging from zero to 80% only takes about 40 minutes to 60 minutes, so the quick turnaround has allowed fleet operations to function successfully, Antunovic said.

Electric grids are used more in the summer, creating challenges for businesses that need charging. Flex Connect and PG&E are helping PepsiCo move past those hurdles due to the company's funneling of excess power to different days and times of the week.

The 170,000-square-foot manufacturing facility's fleet in Fresno distributes PepsiCo products including Pepsi, Starry, Rockstar and Aquafina, a spokesperson said in an email.

“PepsiCo has additional EV fleet sites in the queue for Flex Connect as it continues to advance its broader sustainability goals,” per the press release.

PepsiCo also operates EV truck fleets at other California locations including 15 EV trucks at a Frito-Lay facility in Modesto, Antunovic said. PepsiCo Beverages North America operates 21 Tesla semis in Sacramento and another 24 in Torrance.

Combined, Frito-Lay and Pepsi, which is part of PepsiCo’s entity, operate 1,500 electric vehicles of all sizes, not necessarily just semitrucks, he added.

Dive Brief:

• Ikea, Electrolux Group, C.H. Robinson Worldwide and DHL Supply Chain will test long-haul heavy-duty battery-electric vehicle operations, according to an April 28 press release.
• The shippers and carriers plan to test the EV trucks along the US I-10 corridor between Los Angeles, California, and El Paso, Texas, through the I-10 coalition. The coalition is led by Smart Freight Centre, a member-based group is focused on climate action in the freight sector.
• The new members joined the coalition alongside previous members including AIT Worldwide Logistics, Maersk, Microsoft and PepsiCo. Together the initiative is designed to aggregate demand, fund vehicles and infrastructure, and establish a unified industry approach to accelerate the deployment of long-haul electric trucking, according to an email from the non-profit.

Dive Insight:

Several shippers and carriers joined non-profit Smart Freight Centre’s I-10 coalition to advance their freight sustainability goals and reduce fleet emissions. Together, they aim to deploy long-haul EV at scale and with cost parity to traditional fleets.

The newest members have advanced their own efforts for sustainable fleet operations in the past few years.

Ikea committed to transitioning its fleet of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to zero-emissions in markets such as China and India by 2040, according to a previous press release. The company’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 70% by 2030. It also wants to ship goods using zero-emissions heavy-duty vehicles and ocean vessels by 2040, Doris Martetschläger, who heads supply chain operations at Ikea, said in the release.

On the other hand, Electrolux, a home appliance company, partnered with J.B. Hunt to service three electric semi trucks at its regional distribution center in Ontario, California, to lower its ground transport emissions, according to a 2024 press release.

“Our industry is dependent on complex supply chains and our overall sustainability impact often depends on decisions made in our supply chain," Tara Helms, director of sustainability for Electrolux Group in North America, said in the April release. 

In 2023, DHL Supply Chain announced the deployment of two Class 8 electric trucks in California with plans to deliver an additional 11 units across Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and California. The third-party logistics provider plans to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which includes operating 30% of its heavy-duty vehicle fleet with zero or near zero-emissions technologies by 2030, Stephan Schablinski, VP of GoGreen for DHL Supply Chain North America, said.

Currently, the company has 20 EV over-the-road trucks and 100 EV yard trucks deployed across its operations, a spokesperson said in an email.

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Forum Mobility opened its first EV truck charging station this month, offering nine megawatts of power and 44 fast-charging dispensers.

Anchor tenant and investor Amazon, along with Talon Logistics and Redefined Transportation, are among the initial users of the site, nestled on less than two acres alongside a freight rail line and an on-ramp to the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge.

“This depot represents cost-effective and accessible infrastructure for drayage operators so they can grow their business and comply with regulation,” Forum Mobility EVP of Commercial Operations Will Mitchell said in an interview.

The charging station, named FM Harbor, welcomed its first Freightliner eCascadia during a visit by Trucking Dive on December 13, with Forum Mobility staffers assisting the driver in the charging process.

The site was otherwise empty of trucks during the 10 a.m. PST visit, because trucks were already running freight, Forum Mobility employees said. 

FM Harbor also powers about a dozen of Amazon’s Volvo VNR heavy-duty EVs for first- and middle-mile operations. It has capacity for hundreds of trucks per day near the Port of Long Beach, which handles 7,000 trucks per day.

Visiting the station provided a first-hand look at the charging process, which takes about an hour and a half for an 80% charge, depending on the type of truck and battery.

Speed bumps on the fresh-paved and painted parking lot emphasize the significantly higher torque of EV trucks compared to their diesel counterparts.

“These are very fast, torque-oriented vehicles,” Mitchell said. 

Security is a priority at the converted former diesel fueling site, which is guarded by a fence, cameras and personnel.

In a LinkedIn announcement of the site, Forum Mobility thanked the Port of Long Beach, Southern California Edison, Zerova Technologies, GAA Architects and PAR Western Line Contractors for their support in opening the site. 

The site is part of the Port of Long Beach’s push to reach 100% zero-emissions drayage operations by 2035 and Amazon’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Forum Mobility plans to develop eight more charging stations across California in areas including Compton, the Inland Empire, Oakland and Stockton over the next couple of years.

Several small- and medium-sized fleets have reservations at FM Harbor, including via a partnership with Ocean Network Express and BoxLinks that is providing a free electric truck for small fleets to test.

A subsidized EV truck leasing program is also available through Climate United for fleets interested in using Forum Mobility’s charging stations to electrify their operations.

ABF Freight has purchased 5 additional electric yard trucks from Orange EV as parts of its commitment to sustainable operations, the manufacturer announced on March 25.

The purchase is an addition to ABF Freight’s initial deployment of four electric trucks in 2022, per the release.

“The Orange EV terminal trucks meet our operational requirements and expectations for safe, reliable, and affordable service and performance,” Matthew Godfrey, ABF Freight president said in the release.

Integrating Orange EV terminal trucks is just one of several other actions ABF Freight has done to enhance performance and sustainability.

To further reduce emissions, ABF Freight installs aerodynamic aids on its fleet of over-the-road trailers and replaces aging equipment models with clean, fuel-efficient equipment, according to a filing from March 3.

“In our dock operations, we utilize forklifts with engines powered by liquefied petroleum gas, which the EPA recognizes as a clean, alternative fuel, and we have invested in a small number of electric forklifts, electric yard tractors, and electric Class 6 straight trucks to replace diesel-burning equipment,” according to the 10-K filing.

Godfrey said the carrier is committed to responsible environmental management, and our investment in EVs aligns with our continuous efforts to enhance efficiency while maintaining exceptional service standards.”

Orange EV, based in Kansas and founded in 2012, says it was the first manufacturer to offer 100% electric Class 8 vehicles. It has since deployed over 1,400 trucks across 40 states surpassing 21.5 million miles and 7.9 million hours of operation, the company said on its website.

Saia has deployed a pair of Tesla Semi electric trucks in California, a spokesperson told Trucking Dive in an email.

The 100-year-old LTL carrier was an early tester of the EV trucks, which the company praised for their ability to handle local and longer haul applications “while still delivering notable power and efficiency” in a December news release.

The trucks have achieved 1.73 kilowatt hours per mile during a demonstration last year, the company said.

“Our partnership with Tesla underscores our dedication to evolution while staying true to the values that have guided us for the past century,” EVP of Operations Patrick Sugar said in the release.

Drivers were impressed with the trucks’ smooth acceleration, comfortable design and ability to maintain speeds on steep inclines, even while hauling heavy payloads, Sugar said.

“This feedback underscores the enormous potential of the Tesla Semi,” the EVP said.

The Tesla Semis are the first to be deployed in Saia’s fleet, according to the company. The Saia spokesperson said more could be added but didn’t provide further details when asked how many it had ordered.

PepsiCo more than tripled the size of its electric trucking fleet in California with the delivery of 50 Tesla Semis and 75 Ford E-Transit electric vans, the beverage giant announced last year.

But the trucks have also encountered challenges. Firefighters used 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish a blaze that occurred after a Tesla employee-operated Semi crashed in August, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The driver was uninjured, and the crash is under investigation.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services added a Class 8 electric Freightliner eCascadia truck to haul Daimler Truck North America aftermarket parts in Arizona, the companies announced in September.

The battery-electric truck will carry the parts from a Phoenix distribution center to dealers along a 100-mile route, the announcement said. Daimler installed a Detroit eFill charger at the distribution center — its first EV truck charger at any such facility — to facilitate the transition, the company said. 

“This solution with DTNA is a great example of our commitment to supporting customers’ efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and work towards energy transition,” said Greer Woodruff, J.B. Hunt EVP of safety, sustainability and maintenance, in a statement.

The trucking OEM described the route electrification as a “milestone” and the first all-electric route in the DTNA aftermarket parts distribution network. The move’s benefits include significantly reducing carbon emissions and setting a precedent for future sustainable outbound logistics operations, Daimler said.

EV truck adoption remains sluggish across the industry, however, as carriers express doubts about the feasibility of battery-electric vehicles’ ability to meet their needs, particularly for long-haul loads. Trucking interests have lobbied for further consideration of hydrogen fuel cell, renewable diesel and other alternatives in emissions rules.

Woodruff, who succeeded retiring J.B. Hunt legend Craig Harper this year, has traveled to meet with employees at facilities around the country. Drivers have told him they “really enjoyed their in-cab experience” in the several eCascadias J.B. Hunt owns and operates on its customers’ behalf, Woodruff said in the announcement.

“As customer interest continues to grow, we are here to enable their pursuit for a more sustainable supply chain in the most economic means possible,” Woodruff said.

Dive Brief:

• A joint electric truck battery manufacturing venture by Cummins, Daimler and Paccar is charging forward — despite a shift in U.S. EV policies, Paccar CEO Preston Feight said on a Jan. 28 earnings call.
• Paccar still plans to invest between $600 million and $900 million in the venture, Amplify Cell Technologies, according to a Q4 earnings announcement. Construction on the battery plant broke ground last year near Byhalia, Mississippi.
• “If I could remake the decision now, knowing what I know, I'd make same decision,” Feight said. “It's a long-term, strategic objective for our company to be able to offer our customers a full portfolio of powertrain choices.”

Dive Insight:

Pacer launched the venture with Cummins and Daimler Truck subsidiaries last year and broke ground on the plant that’s less than a 30-minute drive from Memphis, Tennessee.

The multiyear investment commitment called for a 2 million square-foot facility on the 500-acre site to produce lithium-iron-phosphate battery cells, according to a company announcement in July. Paccar said the domestic production was a key part of bringing down the cost of EVs, with partners “committed to leading the commercial vehicle industry’s transition to zero-emissions technologies.”

“Our Amplify Cell Technologies joint venture will allow us to have the lowest cost, highest quality batteries so that we'll be the most competitive in the market,” Feight also said on the call. 

The plant has been projected to start production in 2027 and have an annual manufacturing capacity of 21-gigawatt hours, according to the company.

But the OEM suggested to investors that its phasing of the project could be adjusted based on market demands. Those potential changes come as trucking groups welcomed President Donald Trump’s executive order ending EV mandates.

“What we'll do is measure how much capacity we need to install,” Feight said. “So we have some capacity available for the markets that exist. And then we'll just scale capacity based upon market demands for the EVs or hybrids.”

President Donald Trump moved to sever California's EPA waivers by signing a series of joint resolutions on June 12, rolling back the Golden State's strict truck and auto emissions policies.

The president’s signing of joint resolutions under the Congressional Review Act reverses the Biden administration’s approval of California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule. That earlier rule called for requiring 75% of Class 8 trucks sold in the state to be zero-emissions vehicles by 2035.

Another resolution also prevents the state’s low-nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions rule for heavy-duty trucks from being implemented, per a statement by the president. The NOx rule intended to regulate emissions from manufacturers by cutting heavy-duty NOx emissions by 90% and overhaul engine testing procedures.

The Trump administration has described his predecessor's environmental policies as overreach and unjustified mandates. Trump said the congressional moves he signed further restrict California from implementing a similar policy in the future.

"Under the Congressional Review Act, the EPA cannot approve any future waivers that are 'substantially the same' as those disapproved in the joint resolutions," Trump said in a statement.

"Accordingly, the joint resolutions prohibit the EPA from approving future waivers for California that would impose California’s policy goals across the entire country and violate fundamental constitutional principles of federalism, ending the electric vehicle mandate for good," the statement said.

In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared the federal measures illegal and moved to sue the federal government, seeking to pursue the state's zero-emission vehicle policy. Newsom signed an executive order on June 12 for the state to continue regulation requiring that 100% of sales of new vehicles be zero emission by 2035 for cars, pickup trucks and drayage trucks and by 2045 for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

Trucking leaders applauded Trump for the measures. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said the news was a big win for both men and women behind the wheel.

“Our 150,000 small-business members have been saying it all along—electric trucks just aren’t a realistic option right now. They’re too expensive, the charging infrastructure isn’t there,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in an emailed press release to Trucking Dive.

Industry advocates, including the American Trucking Associations and the Washington Trucking Associations, also warned that electric truck technology and charging infrastructure were not caught up to accommodate California's ambitious EV policies.

“We’ve done our part to reduce carbon emissions while keeping America's economy moving,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said in a press release. “But what we need is federal leadership to set realistic and achievable national emissions standards. And today brings us one step closer toward that goal,” he added.

Werner Enterprises truck driver Gina Jones shared a similar sentiment, speaking as part of the signing ceremony at the White House.

“We cannot allow one state’s regulations to disrupt our entire nation’s supply chain,” Jones said. “Allowing California to do so would have [negatively] impacted the hundreds of thousands of truck drivers who deliver critical goods across the country each and every day.”

California on Jan. 13 withdrew a waiver request to the Environmental Protection Agency to enact the country’s strictest trucking emissions rule ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

In a bid to clean up the state’s severe pollution, the California Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule would have required manufacturers to end the sale of diesel trucks by 2036.

“The withdrawal is an important step given the uncertainty presented by the incoming administration that previously attacked California’s programs to protect public health and the climate and has said will continue to oppose those programs,” CARB Chair Liane Randolph said in a statement to California Matters. 

CARB shared the same statement with Trucking Dive on Jan. 15.

The regulation was expected to provide $26.5 billion in statewide health benefits from improved air quality through 2050, according to CARB. It faced staunch opposition from the trucking industry, however, which argued that its timeline for a shift to zero-emissions trucks was not feasible.

“The California Trucking Association has consistently stated the Advanced Clean Fleets Rule was unachievable,” the group’s CEO, Eric Sauer, said in an emailed statement on Jan. 15. “We look forward to engaging all stakeholders, including CARB and EPA, to continue the trucking industry's efforts to further reduce emissions in a technologically feasible and cost-effective manner that preserves our state and the nation's critical supply chain.”

American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear slammed CARB and other “unelected state regulatory boards enforcing extreme and unachievable environmental and labor standards” in his keynote address at the group’s annual Management Conference & Exhibition last fall.

The ACF rule had been on hold while the state regulator awaited a waiver from the EPA to move forward with it. The waiver request was submitted on Nov. 15, 2023, according to the withdrawal notice.

During public hearings on the rule, port truckers in San Pedro Bay had repeatedly asked whether the state needed an EPA waiver to implement the rule — and had been assured by CARB it did not, Harbor Trucking Association CEO Matt Schrap said during a panel discussion last month.

“Many members took the Air Resources Board at their word, despite the dozens of questions posed to them during development of ACF as to whether or not they needed a waiver from the federal government to enforce a new engine standard in California,” he said. “Their answer was ‘We do not believe we need a waiver.’”

The regulators eventually, and quietly, acknowledged a waiver might be necessary, Schrap said.

“Meanwhile, my members are thinking to themselves, ‘OK, how am I going to afford this?’” he said. “‘Where am I going to charge these vehicles? Who's going to insure them? What type of residual value do I have on this equipment? And is this something my customers are going to be willing to compensate me for?’ Because there is a much higher cost of entry for zero-emission vehicles, period, end of story.”

In a similar matter, California requested and received a waiver from the EPA in December to move ahead with a low-nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions rule, allowing the state to heighten exhaust standards for OEMs. The process took years, though, even after hearings were held in June 2022.

Trump’s reelection in November prompted ATA to urge OEMs to pull out of their Clean Truck Partnership with CARB, saying the shifting political landscape created an opportunity to change “impossible timelines” for emissions reduction.