Penske Truck Leasing added another battery-electric truck to its demonstration showcase as it prepares to transition from diesel-powered trucks to meet California’s strict emission requirements.
The company in April opened commercial heavy-duty electric vehicle charging stations with 14 high-speed chargers at four of its existing facilities in Southern California. It now has more than 20 battery-electric trucks in its fleet.
Penske purchased one Kalmar Ottawa Electric Terminal Tractor (T2E) powered by lithium-ion battery technology. It features an on-board inverter allowing charging during work breaks.
Penske Truck Leasing’s subsidiary, Penske Logistics, will be the first to use the new T2E in California. The vehicle is designed for trailer-handling operations in truck yards, warehousing and distribution centers, container terminals, and related operations where short-distance travel is required.
Penske expects to purchase addition Kalmar Ottawa trucks and will handle the electric maintenance itself, a Penske spokeswoman said.
“We believe the T2E will have a fast adoption rate,” she said.
Yard tractors for port use are a growing application for electrification in climate-sensitive California. Meritor Inc. (NYSE: MTOR) and TransPower Inc. of San Diego are working together on 38 Kalmar electric yard tractors for the ports of Long Beach and Oakland.
“Adding the capability of an electric terminal tractor is a natural next step as they are an essential part of the mix for fleet operations,” Brian Hard, president and CEO of Penske Transportation Solutions, said in a statement.
In December 2018, Penske took delivery of the first Freightliner eM2 medium-duty straight truck from Daimler Trucks North America.
Reading, Pennsylvania-based Penske operates more than 327,000 vehicles from more than 1,100 locations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia.