As part of its commitment to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure at its facilities, Penske Truck Leasing announced Wednesday it has opened commercial heavy-duty electric vehicle charging stations with 14 high-speed chargers at four of its existing facilities in Southern California.
The company’s near term plan also includes adding at least six more chargers, and Penske believes these are the first DC fast charging stations in the U.S. designed specifically for heavy-duty commercial electric vehicles.
“We’re committed to being at the forefront of commercial vehicle electrification,” says Brian Hard, president and CEO, Penske Truck Leasing. “We are investing to ensure our customers have access to the right vehicles, technology, charging infrastructure and information to help shape the future of mobility in our industry.”
Located throughout Southern California at Penske Truck Leasing’s facilities in San Diego, Chino, Anaheim and La Mirada, the company says its 14 chargers connect directly to a commercial truck’s battery charging system, providing a DC fast charging option for commercial electric fleets. Utilizing 50 kW to 150 kW chargers, this charging infrastructure allows Penske to power an all-electric class 8 tractor from zero to 100 percent charge in less than half a shift.
A livestream ribbon-cutting event was held at the La Mirada facility this week, corresponding with the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach. Daimler Trucks North America’s electric class 8 Freightliner eCascadia truck also was on-hand as part of the charging demonstration, the company says.
“We are proud to provide our customers with the ability to quickly and conveniently charge their electric truck fleets at these locations,” says Andrew Cullen, senior vice president of fuels and facilities, Penske Truck Leasing. “We’ll continue to add new locations and charging infrastructure to support our customers as our electric fleet continues to grow and the demand for commercial electric vehicles gains momentum.”
Penske Truck Leasing has previously announced the addition of light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty commercial electric trucks to its fleets.
