Photo: Portland General Electric
While everyone’s eyes are on the newest and hottest electric cars, trucks are quietly, but firmly making their way towards full electrification. And, though it might not sound as exciting as what car manufacturers are up to, it’s actually more important than we might think. Trucks are responsible for a large percentage of the total CO2 emission in the U.S. and bringing them to a zero-emission point is sure to have a powerful impact on the environment.
If we’re talking about trucks, it means we’re talking about Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), the quintessential American truck manufacturer. In this case, they have partnered with an energy company located in Portland, Oregon, Portland General Electric (PGE).
The aptly-named Electric Island is the newly unveiled result of this collaboration. This is the first electric charging site that is specifically intended for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
Since the headquarters of both companies are in Portland, that’s also where Electric Island is located. In fact, it’s right across the street from DTNA. It recently opened with eight vehicle charging stations and the good news is that all trucks are welcome to Electric Island, with most of its stations available for public use. The newly-open location also doesn’t discriminate based on shape or size, so that buses, semi-trucks and electric cars can also drop in for a recharge.
More than just a convenient charging site for trucks, Electric Island also doubles as an experimental center, where DTNA and PGE can conduct their research for further electric charging development. The pioneering station will provide important data related to both charger performance and trucks’ charging performance.
Future plans for this collaboration include replacing current chargers with powerful 1-megawatt ones, integrating solar power and developing solutions for on-site energy storage.
Electric Island is the first electric charging site to align to the blueprint of the West Coast Clean Transit Corridor Initiative (WCCTCI). Energy companies and government agencies came together within WCCTCI with the goal of creating a network of electric charging stations for freight and delivery trucks, that would be available for public use.
The aptly-named Electric Island is the newly unveiled result of this collaboration. This is the first electric charging site that is specifically intended for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
Since the headquarters of both companies are in Portland, that’s also where Electric Island is located. In fact, it’s right across the street from DTNA. It recently opened with eight vehicle charging stations and the good news is that all trucks are welcome to Electric Island, with most of its stations available for public use. The newly-open location also doesn’t discriminate based on shape or size, so that buses, semi-trucks and electric cars can also drop in for a recharge.
More than just a convenient charging site for trucks, Electric Island also doubles as an experimental center, where DTNA and PGE can conduct their research for further electric charging development. The pioneering station will provide important data related to both charger performance and trucks’ charging performance.
Future plans for this collaboration include replacing current chargers with powerful 1-megawatt ones, integrating solar power and developing solutions for on-site energy storage.
Electric Island is the first electric charging site to align to the blueprint of the West Coast Clean Transit Corridor Initiative (WCCTCI). Energy companies and government agencies came together within WCCTCI with the goal of creating a network of electric charging stations for freight and delivery trucks, that would be available for public use.
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