Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022:
Volvo Group North America and Pilot Company will develop a national, high-performance public charging network for medium- and heavy-duty battery electric trucks utilizing selected Pilot and Flying J travel centers across the U.S.
Volvo Group, the parent company for Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks, signed a Letter of Intent with Pilot Company on public charging infrastructure buildout.
The deal calls on Volvo Group to provide expertise in helping identify which locations should be prioritized for electromobility infrastructure, based on current and expected battery-electric truck adoption, customer charging requirements, as well as the availability of federal and state funding to offset capital expenses, while Pilot Company intends to install high-performance charging infrastructure at select "mutually identified travel center locations" at its Pilot and Flying J travel centers across the U.S.
Mack Trucks currently offers the Class 8 Mack LR Electric refuse model. Volvo's VNR Electric, which has a current range of up to 275 miles, was designed for urban and regional distribution with zero-tailpipe emissions.
Early adopters of both models have leaned heavily on depot/terminal charging to support their daily routes, where trucks return to one location to charge. The introduction of public charging infrastructure that can accommodate medium- and heavy-duty fleets goes hand-in-hand with recent bipartisan support of the goal to increase BEV charging capabilities and reduce the carbon footprint of the transportation industry.
Once deployed, the Pilot and Flying J charging network will be open to heavy-duty vehicles of all brands. Chargers will be located at select Pilot and Flying J travel centers, which are ideally positioned along transportation corridors and are well-equipped to serve professional drivers. Pilot Company recently embarked on a $1 billion 'New Horizons' initiative to upgrade and prepare its locations for the future of travel, further enabling the development of charging networks for both passenger vehicles and Class 8 trucks.
