Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023:
Meijer is one of the first fleets to track the cold-weather performance of electric trucks.Meijer
The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer is also among the first fleets nationwide to track the performance of the Freightliner eCascadia electric trucks in a cold weather environment as part of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
"Our company's earliest beginnings were marked by doing what's right while keeping an eye toward innovation,” said Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes. “That philosophy still guides us today and is exemplified by our company's commitment to lessening our carbon footprint. We're excited to continue our longstanding partnership with Freightliner to pave a sustainable future for the industry."
Meijer received the battery-electric trucks in December and celebrated their inaugural delivery on Dec. 15 with a more than 44,000-pound food donation to Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and representatives from Meijer and Daimler Truck North America.
The two semis will operate out of the retailer's Lansing Distribution Center, which is now equipped with specific charging infrastructure. They will make multiple deliveries daily to Meijer supercenters within a 200-mile trip range of the distribution center.
Meijer became a test fleet for Freightliner in 2009 and was selected in 2019 to test the manufacturer's battery-electric trucks. The retailer's trucks were partially funded by a grant to DTNA from the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office geared toward the demonstration of battery-electric commercial trucks under diverse climate conditions. Meijer will continue reviewing data daily for temperature impact on mileage, charge times, battery life optimization and driver comfort.
