DTNA CEO: Battery-electric vehicles key to zero-emission commercial transportation

Roger NielsenRoger Nielsen

Roger Nielsen, president and CEO, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), today declared battery-electric vehicles are the solution to achieving emissions-free commercial transportation in North America.

“The road to emissions-free transportation is going to be driven with battery-electric vehicles. I believe the future is electric,” Nielsen said during his keynote speech at the ACT Expo in Long Beach, Calif.

The road to emissions-free driving, according to Nielsen, does not include plug-in hybrids for DTNA. Near-zero-emissions natural gas medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are currently available and will continue from Freightliner as an interim solution until full commercialization of the battery-electric Freightliner eM2 and eCascadia.

The company sees potential for hydrogen fuel cells to extend battery-electric truck range, but does not see it as viable in the near term. “I can see glimpses of it over the horizon, but it will not be this generation of engineers who will be delivering it,” he said.

To hasten the arrival of zero-emission commercial transport, three goals must be achieved, he said. First, the industry must work together to establish a common battery-electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Daimler AG is a founding member of CharIN, an organization whose aim is to standardize charging requirements for electric vehicles, including commercial vehicles.

Second, batteries must become cheaper, lighter and more powerful. DTNA is leveraging its global network to develop proprietary batteries for its commercial vehicles that meet the standards of quality, durability and integration that customers demand.

Finally, the real cost of ownership for customers must be strengthened through increased incentives, decreased maintenance costs and cheaper energy costs. Organizations like the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) will be instrumental in creating a viable business case for electric trucks. A $16M grant from SCAQMD partially funds the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet.

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