AP Moller – Maersk has unveiled plans to add 300 electric trucks to its North America network, making it the largest heavy-duty electric truck deployment to date.
“Maersk has a comprehensive decarbonisation plan in motion for our ocean activities, which represent 93% of all company-related emissions,” said Vincent Clerc, CEO of ocean and logistics at A.P. Moller – Maersk, who went on to add that this order marks the expansion of the group’s ambitions “to cover all services across transport modes.”
The trucks will be operated by using a digital road freight operating system, as well as charging solutions of the Swedish transport company Einride, initiating the first large-scale use of the company’s digital system.
Einride’s e-trucks are assembled to set specifications throughout the United States. The initial batch of the trucks, which is Class 8 8TT Gen 3, was manufactured by the Chinese company BYD.
With an estimated time of delivery between 2023 and 2025, the trucks will be deployed by Maersk’s North American warehousing, distribution and transportation business called Performance Team – A Maersk Company, as part of its road freight network.
Clerc described the order as an important step in building Maersk’s end-to-end, landside decarbonisation foundation.
The Danish company’s long-term goal in North America is to move toward a fully electric trucking fleet to offer customers an environmentally-friendly alternative for short-haul trucking.
Robert Falck, CEO of Einride commented, “This is one of the biggest deals ever made to make transportation sustainable, and it comes at a critical time. Not only is the road freight industry responsible for close to 8% of all global CO2 emissions, but you also have a world that is more aware than ever before about the urgent need to shift to electric.”