Daimler Truck North America introduced a $650 million three way partnership to develop charging and hydrogen-fueling infrastructure for medium-duty and heavy-duty industrial vans.
Known as Greenlane, the three way partnership was began in 2022 by Daimler, utility NextEra Vitality Assets, and funding agency BlackRock Alternate options. It plans so as to add charging stations and hydrogen stations alongside “varied freight routes,” alongside the coasts and in Texas, beginning with a Southern California web site, based on a Daimler press launch.
The precise location and opening date might 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 break up between EV charging and hydrogen shelling out, however it stated the preliminary focus might be on EV charging. Hydrogen stations will observe, together with entry for light-duty automobiles to the websites, the corporate stated.
Rendering of proposed Daimler Vehicles Greenlane charging and hydrogen fueling web site.
Some charging and/or hydrogen websites might be co-located with current infrastructure, whereas others might be new greenfield building. Daimler can also be creating “a customized, industrial car reservation platform” for customers.
Observe that Mercedes-Benz early this yr introduced its personal charging community for vehicles and lightweight vans. However with the break up of Mercedes Vehicles and Daimler Vehicles, these are solely separate enterprise ventures.
Daimler Vehicles has already taken some vital steps towards a charging community for vans, although. With the formalization of the Megawatt Charging Commonplace (MCS) final yr, 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 stage of charging was an early take a look at for what charging stations all around the nation might want to put together for. For example if 10 electrical heavy-duty vans have been charging at one megawatt at a big truck charging station, the entire load is similar as a big industrial plant.
Rendering of proposed Daimler Vehicles 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 normal. 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 is still 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 industrial vans, so it is going to 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?