Daimler Unveils Electric Trucks and Plans for Autonomous-Vehicle Development

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Daimler, last week, unveiled two new electric big rig trucks that are slated to be in production by 2021, the eCascadia and eM2 106.

The Freightliner eCascadia’s range is projected to be 250 miles (402 km) with a 80,000 lb (36.3 ton) gross combined weight, and is intended for port shipments and regional distribution.

The Freightliner eM2 106 will be designed with a 230 mile range (370 km) and suited toward local distribution, food and beverage delivery, and logistics services.

Daimler says that it will deliver 30 vehicles to customers later this year for field testing ahead of the production 2021 run.

Along with the electric truck projects, Daimler plans to expand its lineup of battery-powered trucks to help comply with with tougher CO2 emissions regulations in Europe.

This comes on the heels of Daimler announcing a new research and development center for autonomous driving in Portland, Oregon, USA – a city where Daimler already has a significant R&D presence.

Daimler intends to invest more than 2.5 billion euros (US $2.9 billion) into R&D by 2019, with over 500 milion euros allocated for electric heavy-duty commercial vehicles, connectivity and self-driving technology – including the new Portland, OR facility.