Penske Joins CharIN To Push Fast Charging For Electric Trucks

Does Penske see an electric future?

It’s common practice that manufacturers of electric vehicles joins the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN) to promote and be in touch with the latest Combined Charging System (CCS) tech. This time however, CharIN was joined by leasing company Penske Truck Leasing.

On one hand, it could increase competence in charging, while on the other Penske Truck Leasing would be happy to see wide standardization of commercial vehicle fast charging because “Improving standardization with electric vehicle charging may help reduce complexity for fleet operators and truck drivers as well as maintenance providers, and recharging/refueling providers."

“Penske will focus its attention on helping to promote electric vehicle charging standards for commercial vehicles in North America by participating with the group’s “High Power Charging for Commercial Vehicles Task Force" (HPCCV Task Force). Penske Truck Leasing is the first in its industry to join the CharIN organization."

According to the press release, Penske Truck Leasing sees increased interest among its commercial customers related to EVs. Earlier this summer, the company signed on for a pilot project with 10 Freightliner eCascadia heavy-duty trucks and 10 Freightliner eM2 medium-duty trucks.

Brian Hard, President and CEO of Penske Truck Leasing said:

“As a leading services provider to commercial fleets, we feel standardization around electric vehicle charging and charging stations will help accelerate the use of electric vehicles within the transportation industry. The interoperability of vehicle charging stations over the road is essential for commercial fleet uptime, efficiency, maintenance, and general ease of use for the industry."

Oleg Logvinov, the spokesperson for CharIN in North America and President and CEO of IoTecha said:

“We are thrilled to have Penske Truck Leasing as a CharIN member and active contributor to the work of the HPCCV Task Force. Our goal is to extend CCS capabilities to meet the requirements for commercial EV charging. The input from end users is the key to our success. Penske is the first fleet operator to join our team and this brings this important work one step closer to successful completion."