A truck stop of the future designed to charge electric commercial vehicles will be built on Daimler Truck North America’s (DTNA) Redford, Mich., land near I-96.
Dubbed a Mobility Charging Hub, the project will be part of a real-world prototype program designed to help fleets transition to electric commercial vehicles. Passenger vehicles will also have access to the site. The U.S. federal government is contributing to the cost.
(Photo: DTNA)
DTNA and DTE Energy are partners in the project.
“At DTNA, we are driven by our vision of leading sustainable transformation at the speed of right,” said Rakesh Aneja, head of eMobility, DTNA, in a press release. “After introducing Electric Island, a first-of-its-kind heavy-duty electric truck charging site in Portland, Ore., and investing in Greenlane this year, a joint venture for public charging infrastructure, we are excited to partner with the State of Michigan and DTE in this innovative Mobility Charging Hub. Our 130-acre Detroit manufacturing plant, home to our diesel and electric Detroit Powertrains and powered by more than 3,000 employees, is the ideal location for this project.”
“Michigan’s ability to retain its global position as the automotive capital of the world depends in part on our ability to attract and retain industry, as well as move goods domestically and across our nearby active international borders,” added Kathryn Snorrason, Michigan’s interim chief mobility officer. “This new innovation hub will help preserve Michigan’s position in the automotive sector while allowing us to address emerging fleet management technologies.”
The first phase of the project will involve installing charging infrastructure, to be operated by DTE. This will include chargers, solar canopies, and battery energy storage systems. State officials said DTNA’s Redford property is the ideal location, with more than 10,000 medium- and heavy-duty trucks traveling nearby roads daily. Michigan also accounts for 30% of all truck and rail freight between the U.S. and Canada.
