Sysco Receives First Battery Electric Freightliner eCascadia

Sysco is working towards electrifying 35% of their U.S. fleet by 2030

Sysco Corporation global foodservice distribution company, received its first series-produced battery electric Freightliner eCascadia. With one of the largest private fleets in the United States, Sysco is leading the future of sustainability for foodservice distribution.

Sysco’s first zero-emission Class 8 truck was presented to Marie Robinson, Sysco’s EVP and chief supply chain officer at the Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) Manufacturing Plant in Portland. The company’s first Freightliner eCascadia is expected to operate in Sysco’s Riverside, California site, which will receive additional eCascadias in the coming months.

“The Daimler Truck team has been a great partner to Sysco as we have worked to electrify our fleet and we’re thrilled to receive our first battery electric Freightliner eCascadia truck,” said Robinson. “This zero-emission tractor is powerful, quiet and — importantly – very comfortable to drive. That means it’s not only good for the planet, but it will improve the driving experience for thousands of our delivery partners.”

Earlier this year, Sysco and DTNA, the leading North American heavy-duty truck manufacturer, announced plans to deploy up to 800 battery electric Freightliner eCascadias by 2026. The deployment of Freightliner eCascadias along with electric refrigerated trailers will play a significant role in achieving Sysco’s science-based climate goal.

“Sysco is proud to be leading the industry with our science-based climate goal to significantly reduce our direct emissions by 27.5%,” said Neil Russell, Sysco’s senior vice president of corporate affairs and chief communications officer. “Today is a major milestone in our climate journey as we work toward electrifying 35% of our U.S. fleet by 2030. Sharing the vision and responsibility with similarly-minded companies like Daimler Truck North America is crucial in moving toward a sustainable future.”

Sysco Riverside continues to build its charging infrastructure to support additional battery electric truck deployments, including adding additional solar capacity.

“Thanks to customers like Sysco, we are delivering a purpose-built, zero-emission vehicle to the heavy-duty truck market that offers the durability, reliability and capability to meet our customers’ business and sustainability goals. The scalability of these trucks and the deep understanding of the integration into fleets will move the industry forward to a cleaner future and make the transformation of transportation a reality,” said David Carson, senior vice president, sales and marketing, DTNA. “The Freightliner eCascadia now rolling off the production line and into customers’ hands represents a historic moment for the entire industry.”

In pre-series production and real-world testing, prototypes of the eCascadia accumulated over 1.5 million miles of use in customer fleets since 2018. Revealed in May of 2022, the eCascadia debuts the innovative Detroit ePowertrain, in addition to new safety and connectivity features from Detroit Assurance and Detroit Connect.

Powered by multiple battery and drive axle options, the Freightliner eCascadia provides a typical range of 155, 220 or 230 miles depending on configuration. Therefore, the truck is ideally suited for short-haul routes that allow for depot-based charging like last mile logistics, local and regional distribution, drayage and warehouse-to-warehouse applications.

The in-house developed and fully integrated Detroit ePowertrain maximizes efficiency and driver comfort. Detroit Connect eServices offer customers features like the Charger Management System with eRange prediction and battery health monitoring that enable fleets to strategically save money and increase their productivity. The eCascadia comes standard with Detroit Assurance with Active Brake Assist 5 and debuts the new Detroit Assurance safety feature, Active Side Guard Assist.

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