WattEV, a California-based electric trucking and charging infrastructure company, has partnered with CHEP and Uber Freight to pilot electric trucks on Southern California routes.
CHEP is a logistics and supply chain solutions firm specializing in the management of standardized unit-load equipment such as pallets and containers logistics, while Uber Freight is logistics platform for shippers and carriers.
This joint effort plans to utilize the Uber Freight digital freight network to connect shippers such as CHEP with WattEV’s electric transportation platform, initially in Southern California and eventually throughout the country.
WattEV says it is currently in testing with various shippers and carriers along major freight corridors and aims to expand its services through this partnership with Uber Freight and CHEP. Initially, routes will be established from the Port of Long Beach to the Inland Empire and Central Valley, with plans to expand to Northern California and Arizona, it says.
“Combining our transport business and our Truck-as-a-Service model, we are able to use Uber Freight’s digital platform to serve the shippers and their customers with our zero-emission truck routes and services,” said Salim Youssefzadeh, CEO of WattEV.
Fleet Electrification: The Dance is just beginning between Utilities & Fleet owners
Subscribe to our free newsletter for everyday Insights into the C&I Energy Transition
Uber Freight, which launched in May 2017, combines a vast network of digitally-enabled carriers with logistics technology and transportation services. WattEV, on the other hand, is building a nationwide network of heavy-duty charging facilities, beginning in Southern California, to serve fleets of electric trucks.
“Electric trucks are finally here, and we’re proud to partner with WattEV to offer Uber Freight shippers even more ways to move freight more sustainably,” said Uber Freight Head of Sustainability Illina Frankiv. “Electric trucks will have a profound impact on logistics, and we’re excited to build the technology platform to enable their seamless integration into supply chains.”
“Our business relies on heavy-duty road transport, which is one of the biggest challenges to transition our value chain to net-zero emissions by 2040, CHEP’s long-term decarbonization goal,” said Marisa Sánchez Urrea, Director of Global Supply Chain Decarbonization at Brambles, CHEP’s parent company. “This first electric truck pilot in the U.S., in partnership with Uber Freight and WattEV, is a step in the right direction as we move towards a net positive impact.”
