An all-electric EM2 medium-duty commercial cargo truck was delivered by Daimler Trucks North America to Penske in Los Angeles recently to fulfill Daimler’s promise to make one available to a customer in 2018. The EM2 is for pickup and delivery, food and beverage delivery, last-mile utilization, and local distribution. It has a 26,000 lb. gross combined weight rating. In 2019, Daimler will deliver quite a few more electric commercial vehicles. Paige Kean, Corporate Communications Manager at Daimler, answered some questions for CleanTechnica.
What will Penske do with the first EM2 and will Daimler deliver more?
It will enter Penske’s leasing program. Daimler Trucks North America will hand over 9 more Freightliner eM2s and 10 Freightliner eCascadias as part of the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet.
What is the battery size and range of the EM2?
The eM2 will have a 325 kW battery pack with 230 miles of range.
When will the EM2 go into mass production and how many will be made?
2021. Production will depend on multiple factors including orders.
What is the EM2 cost?
Cost has not yet been determined.
Where will the EM2 be sold and who will be the customer target audience?
The eM2 will initially be sold in the United States. States with funding for commercial electric vehicles will likely have more sales. Customers with pickup and delivery and last mile applications have good use cases for these trucks.
What is the cargo capacity of the vehicle?
This will be tested and validated as part of the activities of the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet.
Will the EM2 have any autonomous capabilities?
The eM2 will be equipped with the same safety and driver assistance technologies standard on the diesel-powered Freightliner M2.
What kind of chargers will be compatible with the truck and what is the average charging time?
When charging with certain high-power DC fast chargers the truck will have the ability to charge up to 80% capacity in 60 min.
Image Credit: Daimler
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