Skip to main content

Schneider debuts its first eCascadia electric semi truck

Logistics and trucking company Schneider has received its first eCascadia battery electric semi truck – and its plan is to build one of the largest electric truck fleets in North America.

Schneider’s eCascadia electric semi truck

The Green Bay, Wisconsin-based company has received the first of almost 100 Freightliner eCascadias from Daimler Truck North America.

The eCascadias will join Schneider’s Southern California intermodal operations, and Schneider will build 16 EV charging stations to power the electric trucks. The company expects that all of its eCascadia trucks will be fully operational by the end of 2023.

The eCascadia semi has two battery capacity offerings. The 438 kWh battery provides a driving range of 230 miles on the 4×2 configuration or 220 miles on the 6×4 configuration. The 291 kWh battery provides a range of 155 miles on the 4×2 configuration. Freightliner states on its website that the eCascadia can charge from 0-80% in as little as 90 minutes.

Schneider says that its eCascadia fleet will have the potential to avoid over 81,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per day. Annually, that’s equivalent to removing 2,400 gas cars from the road.

Schneider has set a goal to reduce CO2 per-mile emissions by 7.5% by 2025 and 60% by 2035. It says it’s reduced its per-mile emissions by 5% to date.

Electrek’s Take

This is pretty cool news, but let’s put that 100 battery electric truck number into perspective.

Top comment by Brett Chandler

Liked by 6 people

Yes, this is a tiny proportion of Schneider's fleet. They've gotta start somewhere.

Intermodal terminal trucks are a fantastic application for these early e-semis; those trucks can sit idle a lot of the day and their full-day miles are limited. They'll also be much better suited to the frequent stop/go that this role demands.

This is how a revolution starts; you identify roles the existing tech is best suited to, you fill those roles, and the tech itself gets an opportunity to improve based on the learnings from this use.

View all comments

Schneider says on its website that it has “approximately 9,000 company tractors” and “approximately 36,700 company trailers.” So it’s going to have to retire a whole lot of gas trucks in order to achieve its 60% by 2035 goal. So, let’s hope it delivers on that “largest battery electric truck fleets in North America” plan.

Read more: This 240t electric mining haul truck can charge in 30 minutes

Photo: Schneider


UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

Comments

Author

Avatar for Michelle Lewis Michelle Lewis

Michelle Lewis is a writer and editor on Electrek and an editor on DroneDJ, 9to5Mac, and 9to5Google. She lives in White River Junction, Vermont. She has previously worked for Fast Company, the Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. Message Michelle on Twitter or at michelle@9to5mac.com. Check out her personal blog.