- Daimler Truck NA, Volvo Group, and Navistar establish PACT for USA’s electric commercial vehicle infrastructure.
- PACT focuses on open advocacy, educating stakeholders about charging challenges without direct installation.
- Challenges include the need for 700,000 chargers by 2030; members commit to commercial vehicle electrification.
PACT will lobby for increased heavy-duty EV infrastructure and EV adoption across the US
Major players Daimler Truck North America (DNTA), Volvo Group, and Navistar have united to establish Powering America’s Commercial Transportation (PACT). The lobby organisation is geared towards overcoming challenges in synchronising the nation’s EV infrastructure readiness. This includes hitting zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) goals and enabling regulations.
PACT’s mission is clear-cut: to address the gaps in the charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles through education, advocacy, collaboration, and leadership. Membership is open to all key players invested in expediting the deployment of electric commercial vehicles and the essential infrastructure. Founding members, including ABB E-Mobility, BC Hydro, Burns & McDonnell, Greenlane, Prologis, and Voltera, showcase a diverse collaboration across various sectors.
Covering approximately 70% of all new truck sales in the USA, DNTA, along with Navistar and Volvo Group North America, represents a significant market share. DNTA have found success with the Class 8 eCascadia truck. Meanwhile, Volvo Trucks offers electric trucks through subscription services and an expanding dealer network.
The global perspective is not ignored, both Volvo Trucks and Daimler Truck are also founding members of Milence in Europe. Milence is on a mission to create its own charging network for trucks and coaches.
John O’Leary, President and CEO of Daimler Truck North America, commented:
“Decarbonising the commercial transportation sector – the fleets that keep America moving – is critical to meeting our nation’s climate goals. But the transition to zero-emission vehicles is stalling without the deployment of the needed charging infrastructure. Through PACT, we aim to accelerate this infrastructure buildout so that fleets can adopt ZEVs at scale and we can all benefit from impactful emissions reductions as quickly as possible.”
PACT’s strategy is unique; rather than directly installing infrastructure, it focuses on open advocacy. The organisation will not advocate for specific vehicle technologies, power generation methods, or utility distribution technologies. Instead, it aims to educate stakeholders about the infrastructure challenges and collaboratively find solutions.
However, the road ahead is not without challenges. The International Council on Clean Transportation estimates a need for nearly 700,000 chargers nationwide by 2030 to support the anticipated deployment of one million Class 4-8 medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs. The scale of this infrastructure requirement is unprecedented, emphasising the need for understanding and coordination among stakeholders.
Mathias Carlbaum, president and CEO of Navistar, stated:
“We must work collaboratively across sectors to deliver an infrastructure that provides access to seamless electricity and meets the commercial transportation industry’s unique needs. PACT provides a concerted forum dedicated to making this vision a reality, truly working to accelerate the impact of sustainable mobility.”
PACT emerges as a powerful coalition of industry leaders, infrastructure providers, and stakeholders dedicated to overcoming challenges and accelerating the impactful adoption of sustainable mobility in the commercial transportation sector.
