Daimler AG Promises All-Electric Big Rig Truck by 2021

The new eCascadia freightliner from Daimler is one of two all-electric transportation vehicles that the company plans to have ready for on-road testing by the end of this year. As the world’s largest manufacturer of trucks, the company is seen to have taken the plunge into a space that sees growing demand for electric goods transport vehicles. In a direct bid to challenge other potential competitors who seem to be encroaching on this territory, Daimler seems to have timed this announcement to coincide with similar statements released by Tesla and VW.

A more lucrative market for Daimler seems to be that of “local distribution” where electric vehicles with a maximum range of upto 230 miles, like the company’s Freightliner eM2 106, will be capable of. With concerns about current battery capabilities and sizes curbing the payloads of these vehicles, a spokesman for the company reiterated that in the immediate to short term, local versus long haul would be the clincher to securing, or as in their case, continuing to dominate the market share.

As it stands, the Freightliner eCascadia is a far cry from the performance specifications that Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, has touted his new Semi model will have, claiming 250 miles to a single charge of the battery, versus 500 miles offered by Tesla’s Semi. Still, the company remains confident it has the industry knowledge and established presence to be able to introduce thirty prototypes of both models of trucks to be field tested, before moving them into production by 2021.