Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy, and BlackRock Sign MoU on Charging Network
Posted on 02/02/2022
Daimler Truck North America LLC (DTNA), NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, and BlackRock Renewable Power (BlackRock) announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to lay the foundation for a proposed joint venture (JV) to design, develop, install and operate a nationwide, high-performance charging network for medium- and heavy-duty battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the U.S. With the goal of accelerating the rollout of carbon-neutral freight transportation, start of operations for the future JV is planned for 2022. Initial funding is expected to be comprised of approximately US$ 650 million divided equally among the three parties. The parties plan to build a network of charging sites on critical freight routes along the east and west coasts and in Texas by 2026, leveraging existing infrastructure and amenities while adding complementary greenfield sites to fulfill anticipated customer demand. First phase is set to begin construction in 2023.
Initial focus will be on battery electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles followed by hydrogen fueling stations for fuel cell trucks; the sites will also be available for light-duty vehicles to serve the greater goal of electrifying mobility.
In cooperation with the local utility company Portland General Electric (PGE), DTNA opened the first-of-its-kind public charging site for commercial vehicles in the U.S. The group seeks to invest across the spectrum of renewable power and energy transition supporting infrastructure globally, with over US$ 9.5 billion in total commitments and investments in over 350 wind and solar projects, in addition to electric vehicle charging infrastructure and battery energy storage systems, across 15 countries and 5 continents. BlackRock’s Renewable Power group is a part of BlackRock Real Assets.
Daimler Truck North America LLC is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.
On another note, Ford Motor Company plans to spend as much as US$ 20 billion to reorganize its business for the electric vehicle future it believes. Ford has previously stated that it would spend US$ 30 billion on electric and autonomous vehicle development by 2025.