Provide chain resolution supplier NFI Industries is increasing its fleet of Class 8 battery-electric vans in Southern California as a part of the Joint Electrical Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI) challenge. NFI will function 30 Freightliner eCascadias and 20 Volvo VNR Electrical vans from its Ontario, California, warehouse facility to help its port drayage companies.

“NFI has labored intently with its OEM companions—Volvo Vehicles and Daimler Truck—over the past a number of years to place battery-electric vans to the check on our routes throughout Southern California,” mentioned NFI CEO Sid Brown. “By the top of this yr, we can have 100 Class 8 battery-electric vans devoted to port drayage.”

NFI Industries (to not be confused with the NFI Group, a bus producer) has a company-owned fleet of greater than 5,000 tractors and 14,300 trailers. The corporate has participated in a number of electrical truck demonstration initiatives since 2018, together with Volvo’s LIGHTS, Daimler Truck’s Innovation Fleet, and the Change-On challenge. NFI’s demonstration fleet of Freightliner eCascadias, Volvo VNR Electrics and electrical yard tractors has traveled greater than 1.5 million miles to this point, avoiding an estimated 225,933 gallons of diesel gas consumption.

The varied initiatives have helped NFI decide which routes are optimum for electrical vans, primarily based on the variety of stops, topography, visitors patterns and the freight being transported. NFI has collaborated with Volvo and Daimler to configure vans primarily based on its operational wants, and to coach its drivers on how you can maximize vary. 

“The workforce at NFI has been working hand-in-hand with Volvo Vehicles’ engineering workforce and native supplier associate, TEC Tools, to validate and configure our industrial Volvo VNR Electrical mannequin to efficiently run NFI’s drayage routes,” mentioned Peter Voorhoeve, President, Volvo Vehicles North America.

“By working with the NFI workforce as a part of Daimler Truck’s Innovation Fleet, our workforce has gained unimaginable perception into the required steps wanted to efficiently deploy battery-electric vans into freight motion operations,” mentioned David Carson, Senior VP, Gross sales and Advertising, Daimler Truck North America. “We’ve been capable of see firsthand the processes and stakeholders required to put in the charging infrastructure to help the vans.”

To put in charging infrastructure to help its rising electrical fleet, NFI is working with Southern California Edison, Electrify Business, and the Metropolis of Ontario to improve its facility’s energy provide and set up 19 350 kW energy cupboards, with 38 EV charging factors. The corporate expects its Ontario charging infrastructure to be put in and energized by the top of 2023.

Supply: NFI