PepsiCo, Maersk, and Microsoft Unveil First Electric Truck Corridor with Charging Hubs from LA to El Paso

PepsiCo, Maersk, and Microsoft have teamed up to launch the first-ever electric truck corridor with advanced charging infrastructure, spanning from Los Angeles to El Paso, pushing the boundaries of sustainable freight transport.

PepsiCo, Maersk, and Microsoft Partner for Electric Trucks

The "first-ever US over-the-road electrified corridor" will be home to some of the world's biggest shippers and carriers testing out heavy-duty electric vehicle charging.

With the establishment of the shipper-carrier coalition announced today (via Electrek) by the global nonprofit Smart Freight Centre, AIT Worldwide Logistics, DB Schenker, Maersk, Microsoft, and PepsiCo are all associated.

Long-Haul EVs to Be Tested Along I-10

On the Interstate 10 corridor, which runs from Los Angeles to El Paso, Texas, the coalition will put long-haul heavy-duty BEV operations to the test.

Six of Terawatt Infrastructure's owned charging stations along the I-10 corridor will get charging infrastructure support, including software, operations, and maintenance.

According to Terawatt's CEO and cofounder, Neha Palmer:

“As we continue to build out the I-10 electric corridor and utilize the recent $63.8M in grant funding alongside [New Mexico Department of Transportation] to develop reliable charging infrastructure solutions, we have a historic opportunity to work with global leaders who share our vision and investment into the sustainable future of mobility.”

Real-World EV Testing for Freight Operations

Naturally, the goal of the pilot is to gain experience by deploying heavy-duty EVs in a real-world setting and setting up the charging infrastructure. In the long run, we hope that other shippers and carriers will benefit from our lessons learned and make the switch to electric vehicles as well.

The shipper-carrier consortium is also working to get IT companies to speed up their work on electric transport systems that include everything needed to run the system.

Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy Supported

The formation of this alliance is in line with the goals of the National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy, a plan for the nationwide installation of charging infrastructure and the widespread use of electric trucks.

The head of the Smart Freight Centre, Christoph Wolff, stated:

“Through this coalition, we seek to jointly accelerate the uptake of long-haul EV heavy-duty trucks. Together with Terawatt and other coalition partners, we look forward to accelerating freight decarbonization and proving that the electric truck corridor can promptly become operational at low volumes and rapidly scale up afterward.”