Daimler Trucks, NextEra, & Blackrock Form Heavy-Duty Charging Company

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Medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks, like any electric vehicle, require charging infrastructure that is both accessible and effective. However, charging infrastructure for these vehicles presents a bigger challenge than that of smaller electric vehicles due to their larger size and greater power requirements.

Firstly, medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks typically have bigger batteries, which means they require more power to charge. This means that the charging infrastructure has to accommodate for higher voltage and higher amperage compared to smaller electric vehicles, which require smaller charging systems.

Secondly, unlike smaller electric vehicles, medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks are commonly used for extended distances and long hauls. This means that the charging infrastructure needs to be strategically located along major trucking routes to allow for smooth and uninterrupted travel.

Furthermore, the weight of these electric trucks places a greater demand on the charging infrastructure. The added weight of the vehicles can further increase charging times and decrease driving range, which requires infrastructure with higher power and faster charging times.

So, it’s becoming increasingly clear that electric trucks are going to require a different and more comprehensive approach, just as I explained in another article recently.

So, it’s great news that yet another set of companies is trying to take on this challenge. Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy Resources, and BlackRock Alternatives recently disclosed the name of their joint venture as Greenlane, which aims to create a high-performance, zero-emission public charging and hydrogen fueling network for medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles across the United States. The venture will focus on designing, developing, installing, and operating the infrastructure, and renderings of the site layout were revealed as a significant step in the project’s progress.

Since its creation in 2022, the joint venture, which has a budget exceeding $650 million, has made considerable progress. Greenlane’s inaugural location will be situated in Southern California, with various other sites being obtained along major freight roads. The joint venture partners are collaborating on deploying the required infrastructure to implement the charging network holistically. Meanwhile, dedicated hardware and software teams are working to create a bespoke commercial vehicle reservation platform, offering the industry’s foremost customer experience to fleet managers, dispatchers, and drivers.

“Greenlane is designed to begin to tackle one of the greatest hurdles to the trucking industry’s decarbonization – infrastructure,” said John O’Leary, president and chief executive officer, DTNA. “The nation’s fleets can only transform with the critical catalyst of publicly accessible charging designed to meet the needs for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Together with our strong partners, BlackRock and NextEra Energy Resources, we are launching Greenlane to address the unique demands of the industry, support our mutual customers, and provide a dual benefit to all electric vehicle drivers who will be able to utilize this new network. We’re excited to take this next step and look forward to sharing more of Greenlane’s plans in the future.”

Greenlane intends to establish charging sites across key freight roads in the east and west coasts and Texas. The venture aims to maximize on existing infrastructure and facilities where feasible while seeking out additional greenfield locations for supplementary charging sites to address expected customer demand.

Initially, the focus will be on providing charging for medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric vehicles, followed by hydrogen fueling stations that cater to fuel cell trucks’ demands. Greenlane plans to expand its services and offer access to charging sites for light-duty electric vehicles in the future as it works towards the broader objective of enabling widespread adoption of electric mobility.

“NextEra Energy Resources is excited about the expected impact of our partnership with DTNA and BlackRock, and the critical role that Greenlane will play in the decarbonization of the commercial transportation sector and the broader U.S. economy,” said Rebecca Kujawa, president and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy Resources. “As a publicly available charging network developed to serve medium and heavy-duty commercial fleets, Greenlane serves a critical infrastructure need for its customers utilizing newly developed charging and energy management software solutions, while being powered by renewable energy. Greenlane represents an important investment, leveraging NextEra Energy Resources’ market leading experience in energy, analytics and infrastructure development to deliver end-to-end networking charging solutions through our NextEra Mobility subsidiary.”

Details about Greenlane’s executive leadership and the groundbreaking ceremony for the first charging site will be announced shortly.

Greenlane’s founders — NextEra Energy Resources, DTNA, and BlackRock Alternatives — bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the venture. NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s leading provider of renewable energy from solar and wind, is a significant investor in charging infrastructure and electric vehicles. Their expertise includes optimizing renewable energy, resiliency, and grid integration. Similarly, DTNA provides the expertise of developing electric trucks, walk-in vans, and school buses, as well as offering consultant services to fleet operators.

Also, DTNA cooperated with Portland General Electric (PGE) to launch the first public charging site for commercial vehicles in the US. BlackRock’s Renewable Power group is one of the largest equity investment platforms for renewable power globally. With over $9.5 billion in total commitments and investments in 350 wind and solar projects, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and battery energy storage systems across 15 countries, the group seeks to invest across the spectrum of renewable power and energy transition supporting infrastructure.

More Companies Need To Jump Into This Space

This announcement included some pretty big numbers and big names, but we have to keep in mind both what it took to make travel possible for smaller EVs and how many medium- and heavy-duty trucks are on the road.

Looking at both the Supercharger and CCS networks (which will start overlapping more soon), it was no small feat to make it possible to drive a Tesla or a CCS EV across the United States. This required a lot of investment, some of which came only begrudgingly after the Dieselgate settlement.

Trying to provide needed charging services for as many diesel trucks as there are on the road today means that we’ll need a great many charging stations — too many for even this joint partnership and companies like Nxu to provide. A great many more companies are going to need to get into the game.

Featured image provided by Greenlane.