Freight logistics specialist Schneider is celebrating a huge milestone in the commercial EV space today, reporting its fleet of electric trucks from Daimler’s Freightliner brand has surpassed 1 million total miles driven – all without any carbon emissions. We love to see it.
Schneider National Inc. ($SNDR) and its unmistakable bright orange trucks are not only hauling freight, but also over 85 years of experience in transportation that help bring in over $6.6 billion in revenue each year.
In the commercial segment, Schneider has been one of the earlier adopters of sustainable freight alternatives, including electric trucks – particularly the eCascadia from Daimler Trucks-owned Freightliner.
Schneider worked alongside Daimler Trucks North America to pilot the early eCascadia trucks through 2019 and 2020, which has since expanded into a current fleet of nearly 100 vehicles. To support this growing number of orange electric trucks hitting the road, Schneider opened a massive charging hub at its operations center in California, east of downtown Los Angeles, this summer.
The site is capable of fast charging up to 32 electric trucks at once and was definitely one of the enablers that has helped get Schneider’s EVs on the roads more quickly, helping contribute to the company’s latest milestone.
Schneider electric trucks eclipse 1 million total miles
Since beginning to haul customer freight using the electric trucks this past January, Schneider says its fleet has grown to 92 Daimler eCascadia BEVs and two all-electric yard spotters. In that time, the company has been able to safely transport customer freight over 1 million miles – avoiding approximately 3.3 million pounds of carbon emissions.
Schneider states the carbon savings using electric trucks are the equivalent of removing more than 330 gas-powered passenger vehicles from the road for an entire year. Initial customers who helped contribute to the mileage milestone include Goodyear and Frito-Lay North America. In fact, PepsiCo Foods North America’s vice president and chief sustainability officer, David Allen, spoke to its ongoing relationship with Schneider and its electrification strategy:
Frito-Lay’s strides in eliminating Scope 3 emissions were exemplified this year through our first-ever third-party electric vehicle shipment with Schneider. As the first to contract transport on Schneider’s eCascadia fleet, our collaboration serves as a blueprint for how Frito-Lay and PepsiCo are working alongside our transportation partners to build a sustainable food system and reach our PepsiCo Positive net-zero emissions goal by 2040.
To celebrate the sustainability milestone, Schneider president and CEO Mark Rourke will ring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) closing bell tomorrow, November 21. Looking ahead, Schneider says it will continue to progress toward its goal of reducing per-mile emissions by 7.5% by 2025 and 60% by 2035. Per its release, it is already more than halfway to its 2025 goal.
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For the second time, a judge strikes down Elon Musk’s $55 billion Tesla CEO pay package as the company struggles to avoid seeing its sales slip year over year for the first time. Plus: an all-new look for Jaguar this Giving Tuesday on Quick Charge!
We’ve also got record EV sales from both Kia and Hyundai, with the latter seeing IONIQ 5 sales double over last year, more Tesla discounts in China AND North America, and more.
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“Tesla could not meet program standards” on Oklahoma’s NEVI EV charger installation program, so EVgo took over.
As Electrek originally reported in April, Oklahoma approved more than $8 million in federal funds for Tesla, Love’s Travel Stops, and Francis Energy to build DC fast chargers along its interstates.
The three companies were to provide a combined $7 million in private funding match to build 13 DC fast charging stations. The first round of awards would complete the buildout of I-35, I-40, and I-44 as Alternative Fuel Corridors.
Tesla was supposed to install three Superchargers at the I-44 exit 240 in Catoosa, the I-40 exit 240B in Henryetta, and the I-44 exit 125B in Oklahoma City. In order to qualify for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funding, they had to be equipped with Magic Docks – that is, CCS compatibility.
However, OK Energy Today reports that Oklahoma Transportation Commissioners unanimously approved replacing Tesla with second-place EVgo yesterday.
Jared Schennesen, multi-modal division manager to the nine commissioners, said:
Tesla could not meet program standards for the gap awarded along I-44 in Oklahoma City.
Due to not meeting the program requirements, ODOT required that the award be revoked from Tesla as direct[ed] by state procurement rules and awarded to second-place finisher EVgo for this gap.
Schennesen didn’t specify exactly how Tesla couldn’t meet the program standards, but the article goes on to note that EVgo reduced its costs considerably compared to what Tesla’s project costs were:
EVgo won the award for a total of $519,740, and Schennesen said it reduced the total project cost by $317,932. The federal share of the project will increase by $201,781 bringing the final total to $801,780.
EVgo has more than 1,000 DC fast charging locations in 40 states and serves over 65 metropolitan areas.
Oklahoma’s NEVI EV charger installation program, EVOK, is responsible for spending $66 million from 2022-27 in NEVI Formula Program funds to create a state EV charging network. The federal NEVI program allocates $5 billion over five years to help US states create a network of EV charging stations. The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The NEVI program requires EV charging stations to be available every 50 miles and within one travel mile of the Alternative Fuel Corridor. EV charging stations must include at least four ports with connectors capable of simultaneously charging four EVs at 150 kilowatts (kW) each, with a total station power capacity of 600 kW or more.
The charging stations must have 24-hour public accessibility and provide amenities like restrooms, food and beverage, and shelter.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) says it will loan up to $7.54 billion to a Stellantis and Samsung SDI joint venture to help build two EV lithium-ion battery plants in Indiana.
Stellantis + Samsung EV battery plants loan
The joint venture is called StarPlus Energy LLC, and its huge project will create huge job growth: at least 2,800 jobs at the plants, plus hundreds more for parts suppliers at a nearby park.
At full capacity, the plants will produce about 67 GWh of batteries for Stellantis EVs in Kokomo, enough to supply about 670,000 vehicles annually, the DOE’s Loan Programs Office said. Stellantis said yesterday that the first plant will open in early 2025 and the second in 2027.
To secure the loan, StarPlus needs to implement its Community Benefits Plan, which includes working with community and labor leaders to create well-paying jobs. It’s unclear whether the loan will be able to be finalized before Donald Trump takes office on January 20, but according to the Associated Press, the DOE said “it would be irresponsible for ‘any government to turn its back on private sector partners, states, and communities that are benefiting from lower energy costs and new economic opportunities’ from the loans.”
Electrek’s Take
Since Trump is threatening tariffs all over the place to stimulate domestic manufacturing, it would be pretty dumb if he attempted to kill this loan. The DOE anticipates this and makes a point of saying in its announcement that “the project will greatly expand EV battery manufacturing capacity in North America and reduce America’s reliance on adversarial foreign nations like China, as well as other foreign sourcing of EV batteries.”
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
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