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Uber Freight and Greenlane accelerating heavy-duty EV charging

January 08, 2024

Uber Freight, and Greenlane, a provider of public electric truck charging solutions, have announced a collaboration aimed at accelerating the development and installation of public charging infrastructure for Heavy Duty Battery Electric Vehicles (HDBEVs). This collaboration is in response to the increasing demand for HDBEVs and the need for adequate charging infrastructure to support their adoption and deployment.

Greenlane, a joint venture between Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC and BlackRock, will utilize insights from Uber Freight’s logistics network, which represents $18 billion in active Freight Under Management (FUM). This data will be used to inform the development and installation of public charging stations on North American roads, starting with the United States. The collaboration will also explore the potential for in-application charging appointment scheduling, fuel card discounts, and more.

The insights from Uber Freight’s network will be crucial for Greenlane’s goal of building a nationwide charging network for commercial vehicles. The initial focus will be on developing charging corridors in Southern California, the Texas Triangle, and the northeastern United States.

Uber Freight has also released a whitepaper detailing the data-driven insights that Greenlane will consider when deciding where and when to install its charging stations. This data, which represents 500,000 dry van loads from 2022, will help identify where charging stations are needed to support the deployment of HDBEVs and address sustainability challenges within the freight industry.

Despite recent advances in HDBEV technology, there is still a lack of publicly available, nationwide electric charging infrastructure for commercial vehicle fleets. The insights from Uber Freight’s network will enhance the ability to develop and install public charging stations, providing fleets with the confidence to run electric capacity without compromising on service expectations.

A recent survey conducted by Uber Freight and FreightWaves revealed that 13% of U.S. shippers are currently using electric trucks and are willing to pay an extra $90 per load for green transportation using electric trucks or other renewable fuels.

In November, Uber Freight announced its sustainability commitments, which include shifting 80% of global brokerage shipments to clean transportation by 2040 and achieving net-zero climate emissions with global corporate operations by 2030. The company also unveiled a new emissions dashboard to provide visibility into emissions across a company’s logistics network.

The collaboration with Greenlane is part of Uber Freight’s commitment to reducing the impact of logistics on the environment and decarbonizing global supply chains.

“I am delighted that we will be working with Uber Freight to accelerate BEV adoption and help reduce the carbon footprint of freight distribution,” said Patrick Macdonald-King, CEO of Greenlane. “Our national network of EV charging and hydrogen fueling stations together with our Uber Freight collaboration will make the electrification transition easier for shippers. Together, we will pave the way for a greener and more efficient future in logistics.”

“Electric trucks present a tremendous opportunity to help decarbonize supply chains and significantly reduce global emissions,” said Lior Ron, CEO of Uber Freight. “We are thrilled to work with Greenlane on this initiative, as this collaboration exemplifies our commitment to reducing the impact of logistics on the environment and further establishes Uber Freight as a leading logistics network choice for customers looking to adopt and deploy electric trucks.”