Daimler delivers first electric trucks

The company will expand its electric truck production at lower cost

Daimler on Thursday said United Parcel Service will be the first US commercial customer for its new battery-powered eCanter truck, and the company will expand its electric truck production as lower cost, longer-range batteries become available within two to three years.

The market for electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks is in its infancy. Manufacturers such as Daimler and Navistar International, as well as electric car maker Tesla and a host of other new entrants, are racing to overcome the challenges of substituting batteries for diesel engines as regulators crack down on carbon dioxide and soot pollution.

“The game has started,” Daimler Trucks