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A new startup launches a commercial all-electric van in the US

Chanje, a California-based startup backed by Hong Kong’s FDG Electric Vehicles, is coming out of stealth mode today to unveil its first vehicle, a commercial all-electric van called V8070.

The company is already supported by a $1 billion investment from FDG to bring the new vehicle to mass production by the end of the year.

Bryan Hansel, CEO of Chanje, commented:

“We have an opportunity to meaningfully overhaul the last mile industry and completely revolutionize how that facet of transportation impacts the environment. Medium duty electric trucks offer the biggest emissions saving potential of all vehicles because our products fit best where they are needed the most – in highly populated, dense urban centers where noise and air quality are a major concern.”

With its 580 cu.ft. of cargo space, the V8070 is a medium-duty panel van capable of a range of 65 miles with a full 6,000-lb payload and up to 100 miles of range with a 3,000-lb payload.

Chanje thinks that those specs will work for a multitude of applications and with an estimated 50 MPG equivalent, operators could save an average of  70% in fuel costs by going all-electric.

Here are a few pictures of the new Chanje V8070 that the company released today:

They claim to have volume orders for the vehicle and that they will start deliveries by the end of the year.

They already have a 3.8+ million sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Hangzhou, China, where they are producing vehicles, but they also plan a US assembly plant.

Multiple states near port facilities west of the Mississippi are currently being considered, according to the startup.

The company said that it will leverage its electric platform to release other vehicles and services:

“The first model is a commercial panel van with an increased payload and cargo capacity, equipped to haul up to 6,000 pounds, that is unrivaled in the industry. The average urban delivery route in the U.S. is 70 miles a day, making last mile delivery a perfect market for electric mobility. Based on a single platform, global vehicle strategy, Chanje will subsequently introduce a full range of electric models including larger trucks and shuttle buses in a variety of lengths and capacities, all aimed at the urban vehicle segment. In the coming weeks, Chanje will announce a major U.S. service, parts and distribution partnership that will provide an unparalleled foothold in the domestic market.”

They are using dual hub electric motors in the rear and battery packs mounted on the floor of the platform:

 

As previously mentioned, Chanje is a US company based in California, but it is backed by Hong Kong’s FDG Electric Vehicles.

The situation is reminiscent of other recent US-based electric vehicle startups heavily backed by Chinese money, like Faraday Future and Lucid Motors.

Interestingly, two of their top executives, Joerg Sommer and James Chen, were at Faraday Future until recently.

  • Ian Gardner, President – previously The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Duke Energy, Los Angeles Clean Tech Incubator and others
  • Joerg Sommer, Chief Operating Officer – previously SVP at Volkswagen, Daimler, Renault and others
  • James Chen, VP and General Counsel – previously VP at Tesla, two of Washington, D.C.’s top law firms, the U.S. EPA and others
  • Jeff Robinson, VP of Manufacturing – previously Tesla, Ford, Mazda, General Motors and others
  • Suresh Jayanthi, VP of Energy Services – previously Schneider Electric and others

Jayanthi will oversee an interesting energy solution that the company plans to offer to their fleet customers.

In order to support their new electric vehicles, Chanje’s customers will have the option to get a turnkey microgrid system powered by renewable energy and storage for their own energy needs, including charging their new vehicles.

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