NFI is expanding its fleet of Class 8 battery-electric trucks (BETs) in Southern California as part of the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI) project. Under the project, which is designed to show that fleets can successfully scale their BET fleets, NFI says it will deploy and operate 30 electric Freightliner eCascadias and 20 Volvo VNR Electric trucks from its Ontario, California, warehouse facility to support its dedicated port drayage services for customers spanning from manufacturing to retail.
NFI has taken delivery of the first 15 of its Class 8 BETs funded through the project, with the remaining ordered trucks set to be delivered by the end of June 2023.
“NFI has worked closely with its OEM partners — Volvo Trucks and Daimler Truck — during the last several years to put battery-electric trucks to the test on our routes across Southern California,” said Sid Brown, chief executive officer, NFI. “Through the JETSI project and other innovative fleet electrification efforts, we are excited to apply our early learnings and both lead the industry and accelerate progress toward achieving our sustainability goals. By the end of this year, we will have 100 Class 8 battery-electric trucks dedicated to port drayage, bringing cleaner air to the communities in which we operate.”
NFI says it has participated in several BET demonstration projects since 2018, including the Volvo LIGHTS, Daimler Truck’s Innovation Fleet, and Switch-On projects. Through these projects, NFI’s demonstration fleet of Freightliner eCascadias, Volvo VNR Electrics, and electric yard tractors has traveled more than 1.5 million miles to date and offset more than 2,300 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions — equivalent to eliminating 225,933 gallons of diesel fuel consumption, according to the company.
