Penske Truck Leasing has opened commercial heavy-duty electric vehicle charging stations with 14 high-speed chargers at four of its existing facilities in Southern California.
The company’s short-term plan includes adding at least six more chargers, bringing the total number to 20. According to Penske, these are the first direct current (DC) fast-charging stations in the U.S. designed specifically for heavy-duty commercial electric vehicles.
“We’re committed to being at the forefront of commercial vehicle electrification,” said Brian Hard, President and CEO of Penske Truck Leasing. “We are investing to ensure our customers have access to the right vehicles, technology, charging infrastructure and information to help shape the future of mobility in our industry.”
Penske celebrated the announcement of the charging stations at its La Mirada facility during a livestream ribbon-cutting event with the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo on April 24. Daimler Trucks North America’s electric Class 8 Freightliner eCascadia semi-truck was on-hand as part of the charging demonstration.
The announcement preceded a keynote speech delivered by Daimler CEO Roger Nielsen announcing a large scale ramp up of DTNA’s electric vehicle production.
Penske is partnering with Daimler on the testing of DTNA’s electric vehicle fleet in a collaboration partially funded by a $16 million grant from California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District, an agency focused on improving air quality in the ports’ region of Los Angeles.
Janice Hahn, South Coast Air Quality Management District board member, was present for the ribbon cutting.
Located throughout Southern California at Penske’s facilities in Anaheim, Chino, La Mirada and San Diego, the new chargers connect directly to a commercial truck’s battery charging system, providing a DC fast-charging option for commercial electric fleets. Utilizing 50 kW to 150 kW chargers, this charging infrastructure allows Penske to power an all-electric Class 8 tractor from zero to 100 percent charge in less than half a shift.
“We are proud to provide our customers with the ability to quickly and conveniently charge their electric truck fleets at these locations,” said Andrew Cullen, Penske Truck Leasing’s senior vice president of fuels and facilities. “We’ll continue to add new locations and charging infrastructure to support our customers as our electric fleet continues to grow and the demand for commercial electric vehicles gains momentum.”
Penske Truck Leasing previously announced the addition of light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty commercial electric trucks to its fleets.
Penske is a member of the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN), a global industry alliance focused on promoting Combined Charging System (CCS) as the world standard for charging all electric vehicles.
