eCascadia

Vehicle Technologies

Introduction

Heavy-duty battery-electric trucks (BETs) offer fleets a sustainable transportation solution for local and regional distribution, drayage, pickup and delivery, and food and beverage distribution. Given the range of today’s commercially available Class 8 BETs, short-haul, urban routes are ideal; traffic patterns enable drivers to use regenerative braking energy to boost driving range and fleets can leverage depot-based charging between shifts.

JETSI project partners, Daimler Truck North America and Volvo Trucks North America, both recently entered serial production of their respective Class 8 BET models, shown below, and are focused on increasing manufacturing volume to support customer deliveries from coast to coast.

100 Battery-Electric Trucks

NFI and Schneider will deploy a combined total of 100 Class 8 BETs, including: 

  • 80 Freightliner eCascadia trucks from Daimler Truck North America 
  • 20 Volvo VNR Electric trucks from Volvo Trucks North America 

In addition, both OEMs are investing in comprehensive dealer and technician training programs and partnering with local community colleges to help customers maximize the benefits of BETs.

Note: During 2022, supply chain setbacks led to manufacturing and delivery delays for BETs and electric vehicle supply equipment. These issues are affecting all industry participants, including the JETSI project partners, and emphasize the importance of planning early for fleet electrification.  

Freightliner eCascadia 

eCascadia

Vehicle Specifications:  

  • Horsepower: 320-470 hp depending on configuration 
  • Typical stated range: Up to 230 miles (depending on vehicle configurations) 
  • Battery capacity: 438 kWh 
  • 80% charge: ~90 minutes 
  • Maximum charge rate: 270 kW 

Daimler Truck North America’s Class 8 BET model, the Freightliner eCascadia entered serial production in 2022, and is available with a single or tandem eAxle. The eCascadia offers a fully integrated Detroit ePowertrain for maximum power, increased driving dynamics, and driver comfort. The Freightliner eCascadia comes standard with Detroit Assurance with Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA 5), setting the benchmark for advanced safety for heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles. 

The release of the series production eCascadia marks the debut of a new Detroit Assurance safety feature: Active Side Guard Assist (ASGA). This industry-first technology engages at urban speeds (12 mph or less) to mitigate the truck from making a right turn when a moving cyclist or pedestrian is detected on the passenger side of the truck. 

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Volvo VNR Electric

Volvo-VNR

Vehicle Specifications:  

  • Horsepower: 455 hp 
  • Typical stated range: Up to 275 miles (depending on vehicle configuration) 
  • Battery capacity: 565 kWh 
  • 80% charge: ~90 minutes for the six-battery package; ~60 minutes for the four-battery package 
  • Maximum charge rate: 250kW 

Volvo Trucks’ Class 8 VNR Electric model is available in a variety of configurations, including a 6×4 straight truck, a 6×4 tractor, 4×2 tractor, 6×2 tractor, and single-axle straight truck. Volvo Trucks began taking commercial orders for its Volvo VNR Electric model in December 2020 and has delivered trucks to customers throughout the U.S. and Canada to operate in their daily freight routes. In January 2022, Volvo Trucks announced its enhanced VNR Electric model, which features notable improvements in battery design and storage capacity, resulting in increased range and faster charging, with a dedicated battery thermal management system to maintain ideal environmental temperatures.

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Related Project News & Resources

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11/11/2024

All-Electric Semi-Trucks Making a Difference

Clean Fleet Report | A step in the direction of cleaning the air in Southern California has been made by the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI). Project partner, NFI, a third-party supply chain provider with headquarters in New Jersey. NFI constructed an all-electric port drayage facility in Ontario, California.

News Story

9/10/2024

Regulation focuses on Southern California warehouses to improve air quality, reducing pollution from freight and logistics hubs

Spectrum News 1 | JETSI project partner, NFI industries, shares the impact of South Coast AQMD’s WAIRE ruling and how it has taken action by adopting electric truck fleets

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8/27/2024

The Resource Podcast: Schneider’s Drive Forward: Electric and Autonomics

The Resource | Sit down with Rob Reich, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Schneider. Together, we reflect on the current economic climate in trucking today, Schneider’s monumental achievement of reaching one million miles with their electric fleet, and how the industry can better compete for talent in the future. We’ll also explore the exciting advancements in self-driving truck technology and Rob’s view on what the outlook is for the impact on recruiting and retaining drivers. Don’t miss this exclusive conversation!

Blog Post

7/23/2024

Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI) Wins Coalition for Clean Air 2024 California Air Quality Award

The JETSI project was honored with a California Air Quality Award by the Coalition for Clean Air at the annual awards ceremony hosted on June 14, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. This prestigious award recognizes the project’s significant contribution to reducing emissions in Southern California’s commercial transportation sector.  

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