ANAHEIM, Calif. — Daimler Truck North America revealed a Freightliner medium-duty electrical truck on the ACT Expo on Tuesday.

Orders for the eM2 will start instantly, and Daimler mentioned manufacturing will start in fourth quarter at its Portland, Ore., manufacturing plant.

“For drivers who’ve already skilled this truck, they adore it,” mentioned Katie Rabideau, eMobility product advertising and marketing supervisor at Daimler Truck North America. The truck was utilized in take a look at packages with corporations earlier than launch. “It is extremely intuitive.”

A drive on a managed course right here on the ACT Expo, which stands for Superior Clear Transportation, revealed a quiet journey, a snug seat and steering wheel setup, and a responsive throttle.

The eM2 launch comes a few 12 months after the business launch of the eCascadia, an electrical model of a preferred Freightliner Class 8 tractor. Rakesh Aneja, chief of eMobility at Daimler Truck North America, mentioned the eM2 benefited from classes realized throughout eCascadia improvement. For instance: how parts carry out in excessive temperatures and in shaker assessments.

The “eM2 didn’t need to repeat these classes. It was capable of profit from the eCascadia expertise — the identical of us constructing the identical truck on the identical line,” Aneja mentioned. These workers are “getting increasingly more acquainted.”

Daimler additionally introduced an eM2 vocational innovation program to make use of the truck as a base for utilities, avenue cleansing, dumping, sweeping, towing and refuse operations, amongst different purposes.

Final week, Daimler revealed a medium-duty electrical truck model, Rizon, designed to be used by fleet managers in cities.

Daimler is positioning itself as a legacy automaker with the credentials to appease anxious fleet house owners as they make the electrical transition. In an more and more aggressive area, Daimler’s method has been to emphasize the corporate’s fleet expertise, dealership community and historical past of constant service.

The eM2 options the electrical Detroit ePowertrain with a number of battery dimension choices.

The Class 6 single-motor has a typical vary of 180 miles per cost, and the Class 7 dual-motor has a typical vary of 250 miles per cost.

The eM2 additionally has commonplace driver-assist options, together with energetic brake help, tailgate warning and facet guard help, and connected-vehicle instruments that enable fleet managers to watch battery well being, gather information for post-trip evaluation and plan routes.

The truck producer will deploy consultants from its Detroit powertrain division to work with Freightliner prospects to make the electrical transition, serving to them select chargers and type by way of authorities incentives. The corporate and a vendor companion mentioned that coaching and repair might be paramount to the success of the automobile.

“If the truck is parked, cash is misplaced,” mentioned Alexander Voets, basic supervisor of Velocity EV, a part of a truck dealership group in Fontana, Calif.

Greater than 90 % of the Freightliner dealership base has accomplished a gross sales coaching course and is able to promote the eM2, the corporate mentioned.