Freightliner Trucks premiered two fully electrified commercial vehicles—a Freightliner eCascadia heavy-duty truck and a Freightliner eM2 106 medium-duty truck—during the Daimler Trucks Capital Market and Technology Day in Portland. Freightliner plans to deliver an Electric Innovation Fleet of 30 vehicles to customers later this year for further testing under real-world operating conditions.

Both electrified Freightliner models are designed to fit specific applications, carefully identified through an extensive co-creation process with customers. The goal is to build and deliver commercial electric vehicles that support the business and sustainability goals of our customers.

The eCascadia has up to 730 peak horsepower. The batteries provide 550 kWh usable capacity, a range of up to 250 miles (402 km) and have the ability to charge up to 80% (providing a range of 200 miles) in about 90 minutes. The Class 8 tractor is designed for local and regional distribution and drayage.

The eM2 has up to 480 peak horsepower. The batteries provide 325 kWh of usable capacity, a range of up to 230 miles (370 km) and have the ability to charge up to 80% (providing a range of 184 miles) in about 60 minutes. The eM2 is Freightliner’s electrified solution for local distribution, pickup and delivery, food and beverage delivery, and last-mile logistics applications. The announcement comes as Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) explores proprietary solutions to meet the most promising target applications for electrified commercial vehicles, with the goal of starting production in 2021.

The Freightliner eCascadia with 80,000 lb. gross combined weight rating (GCWR) and eM2 with 26,000 lb. GCWR are part of Daimler Trucks’ global electrified truck initiative. The Mercedes-Benz eActros, with a range up to 124 miles and a 55,000 lb. GCWR, is now entering testing for distribution applications with customers in Europe, while the E-FUSO Vision One, a Class 8 concept truck in Japan with a range of 220 miles and a 51,000 lb. GCWR, gives an outlook on the electrification of the Fuso portfolio. The FUSO eCanter, a light-duty truck, is already available in series model production as a fully electric truck from Daimler Trucks.

DTNA is striving to develop electric commercial vehicles that reduce emissions and enhance our customers’ bottom lines through improved uptime and lower operating costs. With the largest dealer and service network in North America, we will offer unparalleled access to factory-trained technicians, parts and support. We will leverage this network to support the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet and, as more electric commercial vehicles are delivered to our customers, we will provide the superior support they expect from Freightliner.

—Richard Howard, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Freightliner Trucks

The eCascadia and eM2 join the Thomas Built Buses all-electric Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley school bus and the FUSO eCanter to establish Daimler Trucks as the leader in North America with the widest range of commercial electric vehicle models.