Southern California Edison Co. is deploying the new electric version of Daimler Trucks North America LLC's best-selling Class 8 Freightliner truck in a three-month test run, marking an early milestone in the two companies' electrification strategies, they announced Nov. 16.

The Edison International utility subsidiary, which helped design the new truck, known as the "eCascadia," said it is testing the vehicle and other "electric big rigs, trucks and electric pickup trucks" with an expected range of 250 miles per charge as part of a sweeping electrification of its fleet, which includes some 6,200 vehicles.

SCE plans to convert all of its passenger vehicles to electric by 2030, as well as 60% of its forklifts, 30% of its medium-duty and pickup trucks, and 8% of its heavy-duty trucks. Those plans, according to SCE, align with Gov. Gavin Newsom's recent executive order effectively banning the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks by 2035, and requiring zero-emission medium- to heavy-duty vehicles "everywhere feasible" by 2045 as part of the state's goal of full decarbonization.

"SCE's fleet electrification effort is part of a major push by utilities across the nation to lead by example in adopting electric vehicles so that we can all breathe cleaner air and help save our climate," Tom Guntrip, SCE's director of transportation services, said in a statement.

Edison International on Nov. 17 joined a host of utilities, vehicle manufacturers and charging infrastructure providers in launching a new organization calling for all new light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sold to be electric by 2030.

'Dramatic savings'

Based in Portland, Ore., Daimler Trucks North America, a subsidiary of Germany's Daimler AG, has built a preproduction fleet of 38 eCascadias and eM2s, a Class 6/7 truck, that have amassed more than half a million miles in field tests, with SCE as the initial utility participant. Costco Wholesale Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. are among the companies testing the vehicles, which Daimler plans to start mass-producing in 2022.

SCE received the eCascadia on Nov. 12 at its Irwindale, Calif., warehouse, where it will use the battery-powered truck to move heavy equipment like transformers and switch gears to other yards and service centers.

The truck will charge on a 150-kW DC fast-charging system that will require 120 to 180 minutes for an 80% charge, SCE spokesman Paul Griffo said in an email. The utility is installing the system as part of state-approved electric-vehicle charging infrastructure investments totaling more than $800 million, including 370 charge ports already installed and another 1,300 or so more planned by 2030.

While the heavy-duty eCascadia is not yet for sale, SCE is eyeing the purchase of up to 15 electric tractors and hundreds of electric trucks "in coming years," Griffo said. "While the acquisition costs are higher than a traditional tractor there is dramatic savings in fuel costs and in California, Low Carbon Fuel Standard credits offset much of the electricity costs for fueling in addition to incentives for both vehicle purchase and charging infrastructure."