eCascadia

Vehicle Technologies

Introduction

Heavy-duty battery-electric trucks (BETs) offer fleets a sustainable transportation solution for local and regional distribution, drayage, pickup and delivery, and food and beverage distribution. Given the range of today’s commercially available Class 8 BETs, short-haul, urban routes are ideal; traffic patterns enable drivers to use regenerative braking energy to boost driving range and fleets can leverage depot-based charging between shifts.

JETSI project partners, Daimler Truck North America and Volvo Trucks North America, both recently entered serial production of their respective Class 8 BET models, shown below, and are focused on increasing manufacturing volume to support customer deliveries from coast to coast.

100 Battery-Electric Trucks

NFI and Schneider will deploy a combined total of 100 Class 8 BETs, including: 

  • 80 Freightliner eCascadia trucks from Daimler Truck North America 
  • 20 Volvo VNR Electric trucks from Volvo Trucks North America 

In addition, both OEMs are investing in comprehensive dealer and technician training programs and partnering with local community colleges to help customers maximize the benefits of BETs.

Note: During 2022, supply chain setbacks led to manufacturing and delivery delays for BETs and electric vehicle supply equipment. These issues are affecting all industry participants, including the JETSI project partners, and emphasize the importance of planning early for fleet electrification.  

Freightliner eCascadia 

eCascadia

Vehicle Specifications:  

  • Horsepower: 320-470 hp depending on configuration 
  • Typical stated range: Up to 230 miles (depending on vehicle configurations) 
  • Battery capacity: 438 kWh 
  • 80% charge: ~90 minutes 
  • Maximum charge rate: 270 kW 

Daimler Truck North America’s Class 8 BET model, the Freightliner eCascadia entered serial production in 2022, and is available with a single or tandem eAxle. The eCascadia offers a fully integrated Detroit ePowertrain for maximum power, increased driving dynamics, and driver comfort. The Freightliner eCascadia comes standard with Detroit Assurance with Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA 5), setting the benchmark for advanced safety for heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles. 

The release of the series production eCascadia marks the debut of a new Detroit Assurance safety feature: Active Side Guard Assist (ASGA). This industry-first technology engages at urban speeds (12 mph or less) to mitigate the truck from making a right turn when a moving cyclist or pedestrian is detected on the passenger side of the truck. 

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Volvo VNR Electric

Volvo-VNR

Vehicle Specifications:  

  • Horsepower: 455 hp 
  • Typical stated range: Up to 275 miles (depending on vehicle configuration) 
  • Battery capacity: 565 kWh 
  • 80% charge: ~90 minutes for the six-battery package; ~60 minutes for the four-battery package 
  • Maximum charge rate: 250kW 

Volvo Trucks’ Class 8 VNR Electric model is available in a variety of configurations, including a 6×4 straight truck, a 6×4 tractor, 4×2 tractor, 6×2 tractor, and single-axle straight truck. Volvo Trucks began taking commercial orders for its Volvo VNR Electric model in December 2020 and has delivered trucks to customers throughout the U.S. and Canada to operate in their daily freight routes. In January 2022, Volvo Trucks announced its enhanced VNR Electric model, which features notable improvements in battery design and storage capacity, resulting in increased range and faster charging, with a dedicated battery thermal management system to maintain ideal environmental temperatures.

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Related Project News & Resources

News Story

4/1/2024

EPA’s strict new rules for heavy-duty trucks spark strong Southern California responses

Los Angeles Daily News | In February, an event showcased a trucking company’s Ontario-based fleet of electric-powered drayage trucks, funded in part by a state government and pollution-fighting public agencies. NFI’s trucks are expected to offset 4,400 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

Press Release

3/27/2024

South Coast AQMD to Host 34th Annual Clean Air Awards to Celebrate the Leaders Improving the Health of Our Communities and Environment

Schneider National Inc. and the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI) will be honored with
this award for their commitment to sustainability and for embracing clean technology in reducing
the company’s environmental footprint.

News Story

3/1/2024

How NFI Deployed 50 Battery-Electric Trucks in California

HDT | NFI had just gotten into the West Coast drayage business in a big way with the 2017 purchase of CalCartage when Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Semi electric truck. NFI executives immediately saw drayage as an ideal use case for such a truck.
So NFI’s team went to talk to its legacy truck makers. “We said, ‘If this is something you’re thinking about, we want to be a part of it,” says Jim O’Leary, VP of Assets for New Jersey-based NF

News Story

2/28/2024

Glimpse at a clean-air future for Inland Empire trucks seen in Ontario

KVCR | Diesel trucks emit smog and tiny particles into the air that are known to cause respiratory diseases for people living near freeways and warehouses. NFI officials say their battery-powered trucks and electric charging ports will help replace up to 3 million gallons of diesel fuel per year.

More News