American Tire Distributors (ATD), one of the largest independent suppliers of tires to the replacement tire market, today announced a collaboration with Penske Truck Leasing to test electric trucks in the Southern California market. The partnership will consist of a three-month electric vehicle pilot at ATD’s Santa Fe Springs location.
The electric truck pilot is designed to better understand how electric vehicle technology can best work in real-world operations, looking at applications and best use cases for moving the technology forward.
“We are excited to be working with Penske to pilot our first electric truck,” said Bill Hancock, senior vice president of supply chain operations at ATD. “The pilot will help us better support our overall alternative fuels strategy both inside our buildings and outside on the roads. This is an exciting step to continue to care for the environment and our customers and help transform our industry.”
ATD recently introduced the electric truck, the FUSO eCanter, to associates at the Santa Fe Springs location. The truck will begin delivering tires next month. The FUSO eCanter is an environmentally-friendly vehicle that is also cost-efficient and economical for its users. The all-electric light truck is designed to minimize noise pollution and help reverse the trend toward higher air pollution levels.
“Joining with our longtime customer ATD to help put an electric vehicle on the road is exciting and rewarding,” said Paul Rosa, senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning at Penske. We strive to be at the forefront of commercial vehicle electrification for customers like ATD who are working to reduce their carbon footprint while continuing to effectively meet their own customers’ needs.”