Daimler Truck North America NextEra Energy Resources and BlackRock Alternatives, through a fund managed by its Climate Infrastructure business (BlackRock), have announced Greenlane, the name of their joint venture to design, develop, install and operate a U.S. nationwide, “high-performance,” zero-emission public charging and hydrogen fueling network for medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The companies say Greenlane addresses the need for a publicly available, nationwide electric charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, especially for long-haul freight operations, and is a critical step toward developing a sustainable zero-emission vehicle ecosystem across North America.

The more than $650 million joint venture has made significant progress since its inception in 2022, the companies say. Greenlane’s first site will be in Southern California, and multiple additional sites are being acquired along various freight routes. The joint venture team is collaborating on the necessary infrastructure to holistically deploy the charging network. Dedicated software and hardware teams are working on developing a custom, commercial vehicle reservation platform to provide fleet managers, dispatchers and drivers “with an industry-leading customer experience,” the companies say.

The network of charging sites will be built on critical freight routes along the east and west coasts and in Texas. Where synergistic, Greenlane will leverage existing infrastructure and amenities while also adding complementary greenfield sites to fulfill anticipated customer demand, the companies say. Greenlane’s initial focus will be on battery-electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, followed by hydrogen fueling stations for fuel cell trucks, with plans to expand access to light-duty vehicles in the future to serve the greater goal of electrifying mobility.