Throughout 2020, Penske continued to drive innovation within its fleet. Here's a look back at some of the top moments of 2020 related to commercial electric trucks and charging.
Penske Deploys Battery Electric Truck with Temco Logistics
Most recently, Penske put a battery electric eM2 from the Freightliner Innovation Fleet into service with Temco Logistics, a premier final-mile, white glove solutions provider delivering and installing appliances and home goods.
The class 6 electric vehicle is currently being used by Temco for delivery and installation of appliances to residential homes, providing service throughout Northern Orange County (Yorba Linda, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills) and the Inland Empire. The vehicle makes up to 18 stops per day, averaging 300 miles per week. When it enter series production in 2022, the Freightliner eM2 is expected to have up to 230-miles of range.
ROUSH CleanTech Deploys Class 6 Battery Electric Vehicles with Penske
ROUSH CleanTech, known for its advanced clean transportation solutions, began providing Penske with all-new Ford F-650 battery electric vehicles for deployment across Southern California.
"Penske has been expanding its battery electric fleet for the past several years," said Paul Rosa, senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning at Penske Truck Leasing. "We are working with our customers to evaluate ROUSH CleanTech-powered BEVs across various real-world applications." The BEVs were built to Penske's specifications to ensure a satisfactory experience across many market segments.
Electric Vehicles Keep on Trucking as Penske Deploys Battery Electric Truck with EnerSys
Penske worked with EnerSys to put another battery electric Freightliner eM2 into service. As the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, EnerSys utilizes the Freightliner eM2 throughout Southern California to transport product to customers and dealer facilities, answer emergency road calls, and shuttle tools and equipment to job sites.
"In spite of unprecedented times, fleet sustainability and innovation remain a priority for us as we look to the future," said Paul Rosa, senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning at Penske Truck Leasing. "We remain committed to being on the forefront of vehicle electrification for our customers and the industry. Innovative companies like EnerSys are looking to Penske for guidance as they implement their own forward-thinking sustainability goals now and in the future."
Black Horse Carriers Joins with Penske to Deploy Electric Vehicle
Black Horse Carriers joined Penske's electric vehicle program in 2020. The companies came together to launch a battery electric Freightliner eCascadia into the Black Horse Carriers regular operation. The dedicated fleet services company uses the Penske maintained EV truck throughout Southern California to deliver product to 78 stores for a major grocery chain.
"We are rolling these electric units out to customers more quickly and efficiently now that we have some experience under our belts," said Paul Rosa, senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning at Penske Truck Leasing. "Our mission is to continue to put these innovative units in the hands of customers who have the right use cases, so we can learn together and continue to promote sustainability in the form of electrification."
Penske Deploys Battery Electric Truck with Core-Mark
Penske's electric vehicle program welcomed long-time customer Core-Mark International, Inc. A leading consumer goods distributor, Core-Mark aligned with Penske to deploy a battery electric Freightliner eCascadia into its fleet.
The class 8 electric vehicle is domiciled at Penske's Ontario, California, facility and is being used by Core-Mark to haul between 13,000 to 18,000 pounds of food and beverages to convenience stores, located in the outskirts of Los Angeles CA. Running approximately 130 miles four-days a week, the heavy duty electric vehicle makes 10 to 12 stops daily.
Penske Truck Leasing Continues to Expand Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Charging Network
Penske continued to progress and drive key learnings in commercial electric vehicle advancement with the official opening of its sixth heavy-duty electric vehicle charging station in Southern, California. Penske's latest EV charging station in Ontario, California, is equipped with an innovative battery energy storage system, manufactured by Fluence Energy, LLC, a Siemens and AES Company, which is designed to offset demand on the electricity grid during peak charging times.
"We continue to expand our heavy-duty electric vehicle charging network, while also challenging ourselves to test new solutions like the battery storage component," said Drew Cullen, senior vice president of fuels and facility services at Penske Transportation Solutions. "We are committed to being on the leading-edge of sustainability and technology advancements in transportation and we look forward to putting our new charging facility to work for our customers and the industry."
Penske Truck Leasing is Fastenal’s Electric Vehicle Support Partner for New Pilot
As part of its sustainable distribution efforts, Fastenal is now running a battery electric Freightliner eM2 straight truck to service branches in the Los Angeles metro area.
The eM2 began service in the Fastenal fleet in early January 2020, making deliveries of wide-ranging products to 28 Fastenal branches and customer-specific Onsite locations – from Los Angeles to coastal Orange County to the Inland Empire.
Hyliion Delivers First of Three Hybrid Class 8 Vehicles to Penske Truck Leasing
Hyliion Incorporated announced it will provide three vehicles to Penske, all of which will incorporate its 6X4HE Class 8 hybrid system. The first of the program's three vehicles was displayed in the booth of partner-company Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) at the 2020 Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition.
The remaining vehicles were delivered throughout 2020, allowing Penske to complement its fleet with the combined Hyliion-Dana Class 8 electrified solution. It enables Penske operators, technicians, and end customers the opportunity to start taking advantage of the many benefits that electrified powertrains have without the concerns of overcoming infrastructure, grid, and range hurdles. As part of the program, Penske provides ongoing assessments on current and next-generation products.