Brossard Leasing’s new electrification effort includes five Freightliner eCascadia Class 8, five eM2 Class 7 trucks and a charging partnership with Hydro Québec’s Cleo

Brossard Leasing has placed an order for 10 electric trucks, as part of an effort to kickstart the electrification of its commercial fleet.

The Dorval, Que.-based rental company is the largest heavy-duty vehicle lessor in the province. It offers a fleet of more than 3,600 vehicles including tractors, heated or refrigerated trailers and trucks.

Brossard Leasing is ordering the vehicles from GLOBOCAM, a network of heavy-duty vehicle dealerships. In addition, Brossard is installing charging infrastructure in collaboration with Cleo, a Hydro-Québec subsidiary specializing in customized charging management solutions for commercial fleets

“At Brossard Leasing, we believe it is our duty to be at the forefront of positive change in our industry,” says Jean-François Brossard, director of energy technologies and innovation at Brossard Leasing in a press statement.

“We are proud to be among the first Québec companies to actively participate in decarbonizing heavy transportation. Electrifying our truck fleet is a major step in this direction.”

The fleet and charging infrastructure

Brossard’s electric fleet will start with five Freightliner eCascadia Class 8 trucks and Freightliner eM2 Class 7 trucks. The Class 8 trucks feature a 438 kWh battery and equivalent to a 470 HP engine. The Class 7 electric vehicles are equipped with a 291 kWh battery and a 255 HP engine equivalent.

Brossard Leasing is also installing charging stations at its Dorval headquarters. These include three ABB Terra 184 charging stations (180 kW) and two ABB DC Wallbox charging stations (24 kW).

Hydro-Québec’s Cleo will help Brossard deploy the charging infrastructure. Brossard will also get access to the Cleo smart charging management platform.

Cleo says its platform assists in optimizing truck charging through scheduling efficiencies. Ultimately those cut energy costs to reduce customers’ electricity bills. It also helps lessen the strain on electrical grids by timing charging around peak hours.

“Our collaboration with Brossard Leasing and GLOBOCAM is a testament to the shared commitment within Québec’s transportation community to accelerate the energy transition and promote a greener economy,” says Jeff Desruisseaux, CEO of Cleo, in a press statement.

“We take great pride in applying our charging optimization expertise to support Brossard Leasing’s mission of making electric heavy-duty trucks accessible throughout Quebec.”

The 10 electric heavy-duty trucks are available now for leasing on a five-year term for customers. A rental, with no contract option, will be available in about 12 months.

Some of Brossard Leasing’s customers include Quebec-based companies like Transport Guilbault, Les Emballages Carrousel, Groupe St-Hubert, and Transport Gariépy Canada.