Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy Resources, and BlackRock Renewable Power announced an agreement laying the groundwork for a proposed joint venture to design, develop, build, install, and conduct business nationwide, high-performance charging network for medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks in the United States.
Daimler Truck wants to hurry up the adoption of carbon-neutral freight transportation; therefore, the joint venture activities are scheduled to begin asap. According to the corporations, the initial capital will total around $650 million, distributed evenly among the three parties.
The absence of a publicly accessible, countrywide electric charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, particularly those utilized for long-haul freight operations, continues to be a significant impediment to broader adoption of electric trucks, Daimler Truck stated in an information report. The foundation of this joint venture will enable the three parties to pool their resources to address this problem. By 2026, the parties intend to establish a network of charging stations throughout significant freight routes on the east and west coasts and Texas, using existing infrastructure and facilities while adding complementing greenfield sites to meet projected consumer demand. According to the parties, development on the first phase is scheduled to begin in 2023.
The first focus will be on battery-electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, followed by hydrogen filling stations for fuel cell trucks; the Daimler Truck facilities will also be accessible for light-duty cars to further the larger objective of electrifying transportation.
