Daimler Truck North America delivers first electric Freightliner eCascadias to state of New Mexico for Goodwill Industries

PORTLAND, Ore. (Feb. 9, 2024) - Daimler Truck North America LLC (DTNA) today announced that it has delivered two battery-electric Freightliner eCascadias manufactured in Portland, Oregon, to customer, Goodwill Industries of New Mexico (GINM), a local nonprofit organization with a mission to provide skills training, job development, and social services to New Mexico residents.
 
This week, state government officials including Governor Michelle Grisham, alongside GINM representatives, unveiled the eCascadias with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and press conference. These electric Class 8 tractors will join GINM's fleet of trucks in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and represent the first zero-emission, heavy-duty tractors added to their fleet and the first eCascadias operating in the state.
 
“Delivering the first electric Freightliner eCascadias to Goodwill Industries of New Mexico marks a significant milestone in our efforts to promote sustainable transportation solutions across the nation and support organizations with strong community impact,” said David Carson, SVP sales and marketing at DTNA. “This partnership solidifies our commitment to driving innovation and environmental stewardship while enabling organizations like Goodwill to fulfill their mission of serving their local communities.”
 
Since the early 1900s, Goodwill has been recycling, repairing, and reselling donated items. The transition to battery-electric eCascadias further helps the organization achieve its sustainability goals by reducing their environmental footprint. GINM already claims to keep over a hundred million pounds of unwanted items out of New Mexico's landfills each year.
 
GINM partnered with New Mexico’s Environment Department (NMED) to apply for a grant through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), which covered 45% of the vehicles’ initial purchase price. The Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) and Wagner Equipment installed accompanying electric infrastructure, including the transformers, and charging station.
 
“Environmental sustainability has long been part of the mission of our organization,” remarked Shauna Kastle, CEO and President of Goodwill Industries of New Mexico. “Our investment in electric semi-tractors underscores our commitment to our community and state to be environmentally responsible.”
 
Since the start of production in 2022, the battery-electric Freightliner eCascadia has been delivered to over 50 fleets in North America and covered more than 4 million electric miles in real-world customer applications. eCascadias are designed to provide optimal productivity for fleets looking to make a change to efficient, zero-emission commercial vehicles.
 
The eCascadia offers various battery and drive axle configurations, delivering a typical range of 155, 220 or 230 miles, depending on the specifications. Recharging takes as little as 90 minutes to reach 80 percent capacity. Developed in-house and fully integrated, the Detroit ePowertrain prioritizes power, efficiency, and reliability. For enhanced safety on the road, the eCascadia also comes standard with the Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems, including Active Brake Assist 5.
 
For more information on the Freightliner eCascadia, visit https://www.freightliner.com/trucks/ecascadia/.
  
Media Contacts
Goodwill, Melissa Stock, mstock@goodwillnm.org
Daimler Truck North America, Anja Weinert, anja.weinert@daimlertruck.com
   
About Daimler Truck North America
Daimler Truck North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a leading provider of comprehensive products and technologies for the commercial transportation industry. Daimler Truck North America designs, engineers, manufactures and markets medium- and heavy-duty trucks, school buses, vehicle chassis and their associated technologies and components under the Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp and Detroit brands. Daimler Truck North America is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck Holding AG (DTG), one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers.
 
About Freightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon. With 80 years of experience, Freightliner produces and markets medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks as the leading heavy-duty truck brand in North America. DTNA is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck Holding AG (DTG), one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. More information is available at www.Freightliner.com.
 
About GINM
Goodwill Industries of New Mexico is much more than a thrift store. GINM has served New Mexicans for 83 years as a non-profit service provider facilitating more than 10 free programs. GINM provides job development, skills training, and case management in all 33 counites of the state.  In 2023, Goodwill served 21,538 New Mexicans and placed 1,556 individuals into community-based employment.


Images:

State officials include New Mexico Environment Department Sec. James Kenney, and Shauna Kastle, and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (center)
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