A New Electric Truck Hits the Road! What Those in Dispatcher Training Should Know About the eM2

Electric vehicles have been making great gains in recent years. Not only are sales of electric cars booming, with an increasing number of manufacturers eager to add their own contributions to the lineup of zero-emission vehicles on offer, but there have also been some significant advances in putting electric automobile technology to use in the trucking industry. This shift from diesel to electric vehicles could be a significant turning point for the transportation sector, with a range of far-reaching effects, so these developments should be of great interest to anyone preparing for a career in dispatching.

One of the companies leading these developments has been Daimler, the world’s top truck manufacturer with stated intentions to become the world leader in electric trucks as well, and has recently delivered the first generation prototype of one of its upcoming all-electric trucks, the eM2.

For anyone training for a career in dispatching and transportation operations, here’s what you should know about Daimler’s new zero-emission truck.

The eM2 160 Will Only Be Deployed in California and the PNW for Now

Daimler’s Freightliner eM2 160, one of two all-electric trucks soon being released by Daimler’s Freightliner division, was recently delivered to Penske Truck Leasing, a Pennsylvania-based company that does truck rentals, logistics, and fleet maintenance. This first generation, medium-duty, zero-emission truck will later be joined by nine more eM2 160s, as well as ten of Daimler’s class 8 eCascadia trucks, all of which will be deployed to California and the Pacific Northwest (PNW).

Get a look at the new Daimler eM2 in action here:

While the trucks have not yet been put into mass production, Daimler is hoping to gather information from this limited rollout of the first generation eM2 160 and eCascadia in order to improve the models that will eventually be produced for its official release, allowing it to incorporate any feedback it gets on how the trucks operate in real-world conditions. If all goes to plan, then, students in dispatcher training can expect to see 2nd or 3rd generation eM2 160s rolling out by 2021.

A Look at the Freightliner eM2 106’s Specs

The Daimler eM2 106 has a range of around 370 kilometres, making it well-suited to its intended uses of local distribution, pickup-and-delivery, food and beverage delivery, and last-mile deliveries. The eM2’s batteries provide 325 Kwh for up to 480 horsepower, and can be recharged to around 80% in 60 minutes (providing a range of around 300 kilometers). The medium-duty truck can handle a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of around 11,793 kilograms.

Why the Time Is Right for Electric Semi-Trucks

Roger Nielsen, president and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has cited a number of factors which he says paved the way for their development of electric commercial vehicles, including maturing battery technology, lower battery costs, improved power density, and an increase in cases where electric trucks can actually lower costs for owners when compared to the costs of running trucks with conventional diesel powertrains.

While students in dispatcher schools will have to wait to get a better sense of how the shift towards electric vehicles will affect the trucking industry as a whole, these recent advances, along with those from Tesla and the Nikola Motor Company (both developing their own electric semi-trucks for release in 2019 and 2020 respectively), have shown a lot of promise for the future of zero-emission trucking.

Are you interested in training for a career in dispatching?

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