Daimler Truck North America introduced a $650 million three way partnership to develop charging and hydrogen-fueling infrastructure for medium-duty and heavy-duty business vans.
Referred to as Greenlane, the three way partnership was began in 2022 by Daimler, utility NextEra Vitality Sources, and funding agency BlackRock Options. It plans so as to add charging stations and hydrogen stations alongside “numerous freight routes,” alongside the coasts and in Texas, beginning with a Southern California web site, in response to a Daimler press launch.
The precise location and opening date can be revealed at a later time, however it could be no coincidence that the corporate introduced this intent to “forge forward” with the brand new venture the identical day that the Senate voted to dam the encouragement of extra electrical vans by rescinding tighter EPA guidelines—and only a couple days earlier than California voted to undertake its personal Superior Clear Fleets guidelines in favor of extra electrical vans.
Daimler did not supply any specifics on the variety of websites, or the cut up between EV charging and hydrogen meting out, nevertheless it stated the preliminary focus can be on EV charging. Hydrogen stations will comply with, together with entry for light-duty autos to the websites, the corporate stated.
Rendering of proposed Daimler Vans Greenlane charging and hydrogen fueling web site.
Some charging and/or hydrogen websites can be co-located with present infrastructure, whereas others can be new greenfield building. Daimler can be growing “a customized, business automobile reservation platform” for customers.
Word that Mercedes-Benz early this 12 months introduced its personal charging community for automobiles and lightweight vans. However with the cut up of Mercedes Automobiles and Daimler Vans, these are completely separate enterprise ventures.
Daimler Vans has already taken some essential steps towards a charging community for vans, although. With the formalization of the Megawatt Charging Normal (MCS) final 12 months, it rolled out one of many first megawatt-capable charging stations using the MCS connector, close to its North American headquarters in Portland.
Readying the station for that degree of charging was an early check for what charging stations all around the nation might want to put together for. For example if 10 electrical heavy-duty vans had been charging at one megawatt at a big truck charging station, the overall load is identical as a big industrial plant.
Rendering of proposed Daimler Vans Greenlane charging and hydrogen fueling web site.
Tesla, in the meantime, is not anticipated to make use of the MCS connector and is as an alternative choosing its personal V4 Supercharger customary. Tesla Semi manufacturing began in late 2022, however the firm does not envision a large-scale public charging community just like the Supercharger community that continues to be a trump card for Tesla’s passenger-car enterprise.
Utilities, firms, and different stakeholders allied in 2020 to create a West Coast electrical freeway for business vans, so it will likely be fascinating to see if this effort parallels it or works in tandem. Will electrical truck operators touring by way of California, Oregon, and Washington quickly have a number of charging choices the place none presently exist?
