Consumer goods distributor Core-Mark recently joined Penske Truck Leasing’s electric vehicle program, adding a battery electric Freightliner eCascadia into its fleet.
The class 8 electric vehicle is domiciled at Penske’s Ontario CA facility and is being used by long-time customer Core-Mark to haul between 13,000 and 18,000 pounds of food and beverages to convenience stores in the outskirts of Los Angeles CA. Running approximately 130 miles four days a week, the heavy-duty electric vehicle makes 10 to 12 stops daily.
“It’s exciting and rewarding to see our customers begin using these innovative electric vehicles in their operations,” said Paul Rosa, senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning at Penske Truck Leasing. “We are all collectively learning from the multitude of use cases in which we have deployed EVs and Core-Mark’s use of the vehicle is providing insights that will undoubtedly bring another level of understanding for our industry.”
In 2018, Penske Truck Leasing and Daimler Trucks North America formed a partnership to test commercial electric trucks from their Freightliner brand in real-world situations and drive future improvements to the technology. In August 2019, Penske received the first eCascadia from the truck manufacturer. A few months later, Penske announced it hit the 10,000-mile mark with the first eCascadia the company deployed.
The venture is supported by a partnership between Daimler Trucks North America and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD), which focuses on improving air quality in large portions of Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley.
“Core-Mark is excited to be a part of this forward-thinking EV pilot, which aligns with the company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint,” said Brian Johnston, senior director of transportation for Core-Mark. “We are in constant pursuit of industry-leading fleet technologies that offer added safety and comfort to our professional drivers, align with our focus on the environment and provide potential cost saving advantages.”
The electric truck fleet is supported by a network of heavy-duty electric vehicle charging stations at six Penske Truck Leasing facilities in Southern California. Penske said it also performs preventive maintenance at these locations.
