Digital freight matching (DFM) firm Uber Freight on Thursday said it would accelerate the installation of public charging infrastructure for Heavy Duty Battery Electric Vehicles (HD BEVs) through a collaboration with Greenlane, which is a $650 million joint venture between Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy Resources LLC, and BlackRock’s Climate Infrastructure business.
According to Uber Freight, the collaboration will likewise accelerate the deployment of HD BEVs at scale and help determine how they can operate and distribute goods as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.
Under terms of the deal, Greenlane will analyze data from Uber Freight's logistics network to determine corridors that are prime candidates for early HD BEV deployment, charging infrastructure needs, and the addressability of shipping lanes for electrification. The two organizations will also explore leveraging Uber Freight's marketplace technology to potentially create in-application charging appointment scheduling, surface Greenlane charging stations, and fuel card discounts for carriers.
Despite rising enthusiasm for using electric trucks or other renewable fuels to achieve green transportation, the movement’s growth is being slowed by a lack of publicly available, nationwide electric charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, the partners said.
To address that challenge, Greenlane has announced it will build its first charging corridors in Southern California, followed by the Texas Triangle and northeastern United States. In support, Uber Freight is unveiling a new whitepaper that exemplifies the types of data-driven insights Greenlane will consider as it explores where, and when, to install its charging and hydrogen fueling stations.
