Daimler Truck North America, Navistar, Inc., and Volvo Group North America have announced the creation of Powering America’s Commercial Transportation (PACT), a collaborative initiative focused on advancing zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in the United States. The partnership aims to address the challenge posed by limited charging infrastructure hindering the widespread adoption of battery-electric vehicles in the commercial sector.
John O’Leary, president and CEO of Daimler Truck North America, emphasized the importance of PACT in accelerating the infrastructure buildout to enable the large-scale adoption of zero-emission vehicles, stating, “Decarbonizing the commercial transportation sector – the fleets that keep America moving – is critical to meeting our nation’s climate goals. But the transition to zero-emission vehicles is stalling without the deployment of the needed charging infrastructure. Through PACT, we aim to accelerate this infrastructure buildout so that fleets can adopt ZEVs at scale and we can all benefit from impactful emissions reductions as quickly as possible.”
Mathias Carlbaum, president and CEO of Navistar, stressed the need for collaborative efforts to deliver infrastructure that meets the unique needs of the commercial transportation industry, stating, “Commercial vehicle customers require fast, reliable, affordable, and convenient power to effectively deploy ZEV fleets at scale. To enable their success, we must work collaboratively across sectors to deliver an infrastructure that provides access to seamless electricity and meets the commercial transportation industry’s unique needs. PACT provides a concerted forum dedicated to making this vision a reality; truly working to accelerate the impact of sustainable mobility.”
Stephen Roy, chairman of Volvo Group North America and president of Mack Trucks, highlighted the unprecedented scale of infrastructure required for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle adoption, stating, “The scale of infrastructure required for medium- and heavy-duty EV adoption is unprecedented. Understanding and coordination across the different stakeholders is imperative to deploy chargers quickly and cost-effectively. PACT will promote best practices to streamline this complex transition while minimizing impacts on fleets, utilities, and the economy.”
PACT, or Powering America’s Commercial Transportation, aims to serve as the unified voice for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, bringing together stakeholders, including original equipment manufacturers, commercial fleets, infrastructure developers, electric utilities, policymakers, regulators, and non-governmental organizations.
