Uber Freight and WattEV partner up for electric truck pilot

San Francisco-based Uber Freight, a subsidiary of the ubiquitous, ride-sharing service Uber, whose proprietary app matches trucking companies with loads to haul, and electric trucking company WattEV said today they are partnering up, for a pilot focused on deploying electric trucks on select Southern California routes.

Through this collaboration, WattEV will provide electric trucking capability to Uber Freight shippers, beginning with CHEP, a pallet and container pool services provider, noted an Uber Freight blog posting. And it added that this pilot serves as an important milestone in electric freight transportation, while also establishing Uber Freight’s first EV (electric vehicle) deployment.

Other benefits of this pilot cited in the blog posting include:

• providing stakeholders with valuable insight into the logistical complexities of electrifying freight transportation; and
• combining Uber Freight's expansive network of around 135,000 digitally-enabled carriers with WattEV’s innovative electric fleet and charging infrastructure network, with CHEP being the first shipper to participate in the pilot, prioritizing electric capacity on the Southern California route

What’s more, the blog posting observed that the pilot leverages WattEV’s mission to develop a nationwide network of heavy-duty charging facilities that will serve fleets of electric trucks. And it added that through the Uber Freight platform, CHEP will be able to book, schedule, and complete loads, track status and load KPIs, and manage paperwork all in one place. 

When asked what drove the need for the partnership between Uber Freight and WattEV, an Uber Freight spokesperson told LM that as the transportation industry aims to achieve net-zero emissions goals, businesses are turning to electrified capacity to meet sustainability commitments and transportation needs.

“This partnership sets the groundwork for seamless electric truck integration into supply chains for the future, providing valuable insight into some of the EV-specific complexities that accompany electric capacity,” she said.

As for the shipper benefits, this pilot is expected to bring, the spokesperson explained that Uber Freight’s network has the ability to optimize EV movement for businesses of all sizes.

“Shippers are given options to help meet their decarbonization goals with access to zero emissions electric trucks,” she said. “Shippers will learn about new operational complexities related to EVs and will discover what it takes to be a shipper of choice to attract EVs to their facilities. On the carrier side, carriers have direct access to shippers who have EVs and sustainability top of mind for supply chains. This pilot opens the door for environmentally-conscious carriers to leverage the scale of Uber Freight’s network to scale their EV deployments.”

Looking ahead, Uber Freight plans to support shippers and carriers with EV integrations every step of the way.

“We aim to get more shippers involved in the EV adoption process, grow our marketplace with more EV carriers, and educate the industry about the benefits of incorporating emerging technologies like EVs into supply chains,” the spokesperson said. “We also plan to build a partner ecosystem of companies enabling EV deployment (for example, building deep integrations with charging infrastructure providers and OEMs).”