electric trucks

READING, Pa., October 30, 2023 – Penske Truck Leasing customer Balford Farms, a food distribution services and dairy products company headquartered in Burlington, New Jersey, is adding the first-ever electric truck to its fleet. The Orange EV yard tractor will support the company's warehouse and distribution center, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It will reduce Balford's carbon footprint by over 15 tons annually.

Balford’s environmental sustainability journey started over a decade ago with the installation of solar panels at their Burlington warehouse and distribution center.

“We’re thrilled about this opportunity to bring innovation into our truck fleet and expand upon our recent sustainability commitments and successes,” said Larry Walker, CEO of Balford Farms. “This new electric truck exemplifies our ongoing promise towards being an environmentally responsible leader in the food distribution industry while delivering efficiency and safety to our workplace, and the very best service to our customers.”

Balford specializes in providing warehousing and distribution services to quick service restaurant chains. Balford also markets and distributes their own Rosenberger’s dairy brand to customers throughout the Northeast U.S.

Penske Truck Leasing customer Balford Farms, a food distribution services and dairy products company headquartered in Burlington, New Jersey, is adding the first-ever electric truck to its fleet. The Orange EV yard tractor will support the company's warehouse and distribution center, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It will reduce Balford's carbon footprint by over 15 tons annually.

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Penske Truck Leasing has added Xos, Inc. battery-electric trucks to its fleet. Penske will deploy the trucks with multiple customers in various industries. The Xos Stepvan is a Class 6 vehicle purpose-built for commercial applications.


“We are very pleased to build on our growing portfolio of all-electric vehicles with the addition of the Xos Stepvan,” said Paul Rosa, senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning for Penske Truck Leasing.

The Stepvan can travel up to 150 miles on a single charge, features a GVWR of up to 23,000 pounds, and comes in available body sizes of 16’ or 18’. Depending on charger specifications, the vehicle charge time with DC fast charging ranges from 110 to 120 minutes. Additional specifications include a 178-inch wheelbase, 347 kW maximum horsepower, and max torque of 1,737 ft-lbs.

“We’re proud to partner with Penske on their journey to a fully electric fleet operation,” said Dakota Semler, chief executive officer at Los Angeles-based Xos. “Penske and Xos share similar core values around our commitment to customers and a dedication to excellence, so our partnership is a natural fit. We look forward to building our relationship for years to come.”

By “Move Ahead” Staff

Penske Transportation Solutions was recognized in Los Angeles by the Climate Registry for its work with electric trucks. Penske was honored with an Innovative Partnership Certificate at the 2023 Climate Leadership Awards for being a part of the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet.

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In the fourth annual State of Sustainable Fleets Market Brief, commercial transportation fleets continue to report a resounding trend — their use of clean fuels and advanced vehicle technologies is rapidly accelerating.

Report author and leading clean technology consulting firm, Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA), unveiled the findings at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Anaheim, California.

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Wesco International, a global distribution and supply chain services provider, is experiencing success with operating a pilot program with Ford E-Transit electric vehicles, provided by Penske Truck Leasing. The units are being used in three major markets as part of the company’s overall electrification and sustainability strategy. Wesco is leveraging these E-Transits in Atlanta, Orlando and Phoenix.

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Penske Truck Leasing has increased the size of its electric truck fleet with the addition of a pair of MT50e all-electric walk-in vans from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. Penske has delivered these trucks to customers in the healthcare field.

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Penske Truck Leasing and Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) commemorated the delivery of two battery electric production model Freightliner eCascadia semi-trucks. The delivery of these heavy-duty electric vehicles is a significant milestone for both companies and marks the culmination of a period of co-creation, refinement and field-testing that kicked off nearly five years ago.

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Electric Fleets

Fleet managers are closely monitoring the potential of electric fleets, and Penske Truck Leasing is helping them explore and integrate this new technology. As a leading advisor to executives seeking more sustainable fleet solutions and alternative fuels, we have been operating, supporting and maintaining alternative-fueled vehicle fleets for more than 30 years including commercial electric vehicles for a decade.

Through research, pilot projects and innovative partnerships, Penske continues to support new initiatives to help modern fleets enjoy the financial and environmental benefits of BEVs.

Sustainable Fleet Initiatives We're Leading

Battery Electric Commercial Truck Test Fleet

Penske works with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the electric vehicle market to ensure that battery electric commercial trucks are on track to meet full-service truck leasing transportation requirements.

The Penske Truck Leasing EV Evaluation Fleet includes vehicles such as the Freightliner eCascadia (class 8), Freightliner eM2 (class 6 and 7), Volvo VNR electric tractor (class 8), International® eMV™ (class 6 and 7), Ford E-Transit (Class 2), Orange EV e-Triever electric terminal truck (class 8 yard tractor), Freightliner Custom Chassis MT50e walk-in (class 5 and 6), and XOS walk-in (class 6).

We are working with customers to evaluate these BEVs for various markets and deploy battery electric commercial trucks in real-world applications.

All-Electric Cargo Vans Now Available

Penske continues to expand and diversify our electric vehicle options with the introduction of the all-electric Ford E-Transit cargo vans into our fleet. This more sustainable transportation option is the first light-duty electric truck available to our full-service leasing and commercial rental customers.

The Ford E-Transit electric zero tailpipe emission vehicle is the first all-electric cargo van from a full-line automaker in North America, with a payload of up to 3,800 lbs. and an estimated range of over 100 miles.

Electric Vehicle Charging Network

The availability of charging stations is a key concern for electric delivery trucks. Penske has implemented a network of heavy-duty electric high-speed charging stations in Southern California with select locations that are equipped with an innovative battery energy storage system designed to offset demand on the electricity grid during peak charging times.

charging stations

We are committed to building the infrastructure needed to encourage broader adoption of electric delivery trucks and other BEVs. We also believe that standardization around EV charging will help accelerate adoption and are a member of the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN), a worldwide industry alliance focused on promoting Combined Charging System (CCS) as the global standard for charging EVs of all types.

Sustainable Fleet Research

Penske is supporting original research that can help transportation leaders make informed choices about the future of their fleets, including the annual State of Sustainable Fleets report created by California-based clean technology consulting firm Gladstein, Neandross & Associates.

Download the 2023 report to learn more about the key trends and performance metrics that are accelerating the adoption of sustainable vehicles in the U.S. on-road transportation industry.

Support for Today's Fleet Leaders

Penske is helping commercial fleets take advantage of the cost savings and environmental benefits that BEVs offer.

We can help you navigate the steps, find the best options, and identify maintenance and safety requirements.

The next stage of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Phase 2 emissions requirements is underway, and continued advances in electric trucks could change how original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requirements.

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Penske Truck Leasing is adding Orange EV electric terminal trucks for use with customers across the U.S. The vehicles are designed for trailer-handling operations in truck yards, warehousing and distribution centers, container terminals and related operations where short-distance moves are required.

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Penske Transportation Solutions makes its return to the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in 2022 with an action-packed presence in Long Beach, California. The company is a Presenting Sponsor of the conference itself (which runs May 9-12) and a Title Sponsor of the third annual Gladstein, Neandross and Associates (GNA)-produced State of Sustainable Fleets Report.

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Sustainability takes a strong corporate commitment and an integrated team approach to make it happen. At Penske, we are dedicated to readying our businesses for the future of electrification, decarbonization, and enhancing our overall sustainability as responsible corporate citizens.

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Penske Truck Leasing continues to expand its fleet electrification efforts including the evaluation of important related technologies to support the emerging charging needs of battery electric trucks. Since April 2021, Penske has worked with Stem, Inc., a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven energy storage services, to pilot its Athena® smart energy storage software and operate an advanced battery storage system. The pilot project included a 350 kilowatt (kW)/800 kilowatt hour (kWh) battery system powered by Stem's Athena at Penske's heavy-duty truck charging positions in Ontario, California.

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Penske Transportation Solutions will take part in this year's Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Long Beach, California. Penske is a Presenting Sponsor and an expert will moderate a session. The event runs from August 30 to September 2 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

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Penske Truck Leasing is teaming up with ROUSH CleanTech and Proterra Inc in a new collaboration to advance the development of its next-generation Ford F-650 all-electric commercial truck.

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Penske Truck Leasing recently took delivery of two VNR Electrics from Volvo Trucks North America, expanding its fleet of battery-electric Class 8 models available in Southern California. Its first Volvo VNR Electrics will be used by two consumer retail companies, enabling both customers to gain firsthand insight into the many benefits of battery-electric trucks, the ease of recharging, and the ideal routes to deploy additional units in the future.

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Mike Costanza, Penske's director of environmental services, will take part in the U.S. EPA SmartWay Freight Matters webinar series. Click here to register for the March 16 event, Alternative Fuel Adoption Accelerates: Discussion with Penske and GNA.

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