Daimler Trucks North America Opens Preorders For Fully Electric Big Rigs

Electric vehicles are very common on the roads today for both SUVs and passenger vehicles. So far, light-duty trucks and big rigs used to haul goods all around the country have stuck to traditional combustion engines. That will change with several automakers working on electric light-duty pickups, including Ford and Tesla. Semi maker Daimler Trucks North America announced this week that its battery-electric eCascadia and eM2 big rigs are now available for preorder.

The truck maker claims that the big rigs will be the longest-range commercial EVs on sale in the US. While preorders are open, production isn't scheduled to begin until late 2022. The electric powertrain for both the eCascadia and eM2 will come from Detroit, better known as Detroit Diesel.

Detroit calls it the ePowertrain and will offer single or dual-motor configurations with up to 23,000 pound-feet of torque. The eCascadia promises 250 miles per charge, with the eM2 promising up to 230 miles per charge.

The truck maker also offers a service for fleet owners trying to go electric to help them choose options, including charging options. As far as pricing, that is a mystery for now. However, they will certainly be expensive as they are full-sized semi-trucks meant for commercial trucking.

There's no indication of exactly how long it will take to charge the batteries for these trucks. Presumably, the battery packs are massive considering the vehicles are large, and they have a relatively long driving range given their size. Massive battery packs likely mean long charge times, meaning these trucks will probably be more for short-haul trucking where they return to the same place every night to be plugged in.