USA: Daimler Truck launches new electric truck brand Rizon

Daimler Truck announced a new brand for medium-duty electric trucks in the US called Rizon. Production start and first deliveries are scheduled for later this year. The company also announced a new joint venture for setting up charging and H2 fuelling stations for medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the country.

But first the new brand: The Rizon truck will be available in two variants. The L-model comes with three 124 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs, offering a range of 110 to 160 miles (177 to 257 km). The smaller M-model features two 83 kWh battery packs and can go 75 to 110 miles (121 to 177 km) on a single charge. According to Daimler Truck, it chose to use LFP battery technology because it has double the life of other cathode materials and has better reliability.

The truck comes with two battery-charging systems. It will take about five to six hours to charge the battery using a Level 2 AC charger and 45 to 90 minutes at a DC charging station.

The Rizon electric truck production is said to kick off in the third quarter of this year, while the first vehicles will be delivered in the fourth quarter. The Velocity Vehicle Group was named exclusive distributor for the US.

Daimler Truck does not mention it specifically in the press release, but the Rizon vehicles are probably essentially the Fuso eCanter with a different brand logo. Daimler Truck presented the current generation of the Fuso eCanter in September 2022 and it has a surprisingly similar appearance and comparable technical data. The battery can be assembled in modules of 41.3 kWh each – two or three of these modules are installed, which roughly results in 83 and 124 kWh. In its statement, Daimler Truck does not specify where the Rizon vehicles will be build. Freightwaves, however, suggests that they will be imported from Japan.

In any case, the Rizon models could be in high demand in the US, as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed emission cuts for cars and trucks through 2032 this month. Meanwhile, California lawmakers are said to vote on even stricter rules for their state.

Infrastructure joint venture will be called Greenlane

Daimler Truck also announced the name of the joint venture announced last year, which aims to build a nationwide network of charging stations and hydrogen refuelling stations for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. The more than $650 million joint venture, operated together with NextEra Energy Resources and Blackrock, is called Greenlane.

Greenlane’s initial focus will be charging stations for medium and heavy-duty BEV commercial vehicles. The joint venture will also set up hydrogen refuelling stations for fuel cell trucks and plans to include light commercial vehicles in the future.

Greenlane’s first sight will be in Southern California, though the partners do not specify the location further. Moreover, it says that a “network of charging sites will be built on critical freight routes along the east and west coasts and in Texas” by 2026.

freightwaves.com, mitsubishi-fuso.com, rizontruck.com (all Rizon), daimlertruck.com, drivegreenlane.com (both Greenlane)