Daimler Truck North America LLC (DTNA) is making two significant investments at its headquarters complex on Swan Island: a new Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) training center adjacent to Electric Island and a new engineering facility at the DTNA campus.

The new addition to Electric Island represents the next phase to accelerate testing and development of charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles since the first-of-its-kind public charging station was built in partnership with Portland General Electric and opened in 2021. The new training center will be used for the DTNA dealer network and as a resource center for community stakeholders interested in the clean transportation industry. The anticipated project will cost $3 million with half of the costs being funded through a forgivable loan from Prosper Portland, the City of Portland’s economic development agency.

The new DTNA engineering facility will be approximately 110,000 sq-ft and will consolidate testing activities under one roof with focus on research and development for emerging propulsion technologies, such as battery electric and hydrogen-fueled vehicles. The project is anticipated to cost $40 million and will be partially funded by the State of Oregon with a $700,000 forgivable loan from the State’s Strategic Reserve fund.

DTNA’s history in Portland dates back to the founding of the Freightliner brand in the city in 1942. When Freightliner was acquired by the former Daimler AG in 1981, the manufacturer established its North American headquarters for medium- and heavy-duty trucks in Portland. Since then, DTNA has based all research and development activities for North America in the region. Also located on Swan Island is the Portland Truck Manufacturing Plant, which has been in continuous operation since 1969 and today produces the battery-electric Freightliner eCascadia and eM2 as well as the Western Star X-Series. DTNA employs more than 3,000 people in the Portland region.