Class 3-5 electric trucks bring many players to the market
Most of the buzz around commercial truck electrification seems to focus on Class 8 models. Who’s ordering them? Where is the infrastructure to charge them? Other than a few lesser-known players like BYD and Nikola, the field belongs to the legacy players like Daimler Truck, Volvo and Paccar.
That leaves a clearer field for startups and electric chassis companies in the Class 3-5 range. Of those, Class 5 model step vans weighing between 16,001 and 19,500 pounds are attracting a lot of new entrants. These trucks can carry up to 10,000 pounds of cargo, move easily in traffic and — despite their boxy appearance — maneuver reasonably well.
That will get even better when Ree Automotive begins building its four-wheel steering model with a Proxima body from EAVX, the newest division of J.B. Poindexter, also the parent of Morgan Olson.
Legacy chassis come from the likes of Ford Motor Co. and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp., a Daimler Truck North America subsidiary. Most of the van bodies carry the Morgan Olson or Utilimaster name.
Labor flareup causes disruptions at West Coast ports
Labor issues at several West Coast ports led to limited terminal operations on Friday, creating uncertainty over whether disruptions would continue in the coming days.
Port officials and at least two trucking executives told Supply Chain Dive the issues were related to unfilled jobs at terminals. The issue caused varying degrees of disruption at maritime gateways in the morning, during longshore workers’ first shift.
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Italy to set up €1 Billion sovereign fund for key supply chains
Italy announced it will set up a €1 billion ($1.1 billion) sovereign fund to channel funding to companies it deems strategic, furthering Premier Giorgia Meloni’s vision to shore up domestic production and secure key supply chains.
The fund wants to “stimulate the growth and consolidation of national strategic supply chains, also for the procurement of critical raw materials,” according to a statement by Italy’s industry ministry.
Read more: EU Creates Alert System for Semiconductor Supply Chain
It was approved during a cabinet meeting May 31 and is part of a draft law aimed at promoting ‘Made in Italy’. The draft still requires parliamentary approval and might change.