Commercial EVs

It’s been a decidedly weird month in the heavy truck world, and it just keeps getting weirder. Hydrogen shipping startup Hyroad Energy has acquired Nikola Motor’s hydrogen assets and IP, including 113 HFCEV semis, spare parts, and refueling infrastructure.

The waste management experts at Republic Services are committed to cleaning up the Chicagoland area — and now, that includes the air Chicagoans breathe, thanks to the deployment of new Mack LR Electric garbage trucks in the heart of America’s Second City.

With a maximum lifting capacity over 100,000 lbs. and quiet, emissions-free operation, the Wiggins Lift Co. Yard eBull is one serious forklift – and this serious piece of heavy equipment it could be coming soon, to a port or terminal yard near you.

McKinstry has reached a major milestone on its way to becoming an emissions-free operation with the deployment of its 100th all-electric Chevy Silverado work truck. What’s more: the company is proving these upfit electric pickups are ready to work, today.

Wirtgen Vögele recently revealed the battery-powered MINI 500e and the MINI 502e electric pavers. With an electrically heated screed, a range of paving widths, and zero-emission operations, they’re paving a greener, cleaner path.

The latest commercial vehicle from Volkswagen isn’t another box, retro-tastic van. Instead, it’s a crew cab, flatbed-style pickup truck with modern amenities, room for six, serious payload capacity, and a fully electric powertrain.

Construction and mining giant Caterpillar has reached a major milestone for its autonomous haulage system (AHS), reaching one million tons (!) of aggregate hauled by the company’s massive self-driving trucks.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance has announced the recipients of its inaugural incentive program for zero emission drayage trucks – and they’ve turned to the logistics experts at Zeem to deploy 19 battery electric semi trucks to serve the Seattle-Tacoma gateway.

With the Tesla Semi making headlines consistently since its first public appearance waaay back back in 2017, you might think they were some kind of market leaders. Meanwhile, Volvo Trucks has quietly delivered its 5,000th electric semi truck … and they’re just getting started.

With short runs at low speeds under heavy loads in a controlled space, heavy-duty terminal tractors represent an almost ideal use case for electrification. APM Terminals Pier 400 seems to have done the math and come to the same conclusion, and are now set to add twenty new Orange EVs to their fleet at the Port of Los Angeles.

A new study by the Pembina Institute shows that a third of the commercial trucks and vans on Toronto’s roads are ready to electrify today – while nearly half could be electrified by 2030.

HOLMS Attachments has made it easier for heavy equipment fleets to electrify with a new sweeper attachment that’s equipped with its own power source, freeing it from the need for a mechanical or battery (e) PTO.

We’ve been big fans of highly capable LSVs (or “Low Speed Vehicles”) for a while here on Electrek, and the newest Cushman Hauler XL ELiTE electric utility vehicle keeps that trend alive with an extra-long, 68.5″ aluminum bed for even more cargo-hauling capability.

Mitsubishi is partnering with Ample and Yamoto Transports to deploy an innovative new battery swap network for electric cars in its Japanese home market — but it’s not just for electric cars. Mitsubishi Fuso commercial trucks are getting in on the action, too!

Does a recent GM patent and trademark filing for what seems to be an upcoming electric van hint at the long-awaited successor to the Chevy Express van that’s been in production since 1996, or does the General have something else planned for the Express’ 30th anniversary?

The electric box van experts at Harbinger announced a new, EREV version of their medium-duty van that pairs a big battery with a small, gas-powered ICE engine to offer fleets that are hesitant to electrify a massive 500 miles of autonomy on a single charge + tank.

While Washington continues to threaten America’s economic security and position as a global technology leader by toying with the idea of killing the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit, the ENERGY STAR program, and other energy efficiency incentives, the private energy sector is stepping up with massive investments in battery storage, charging infrastructure, and commercial EV rebates – and helping fleet buyers navigate those new incentives is becoming part of the broader business plan.

Last month’s bauma event in Germany was so big that the industry hive mind is still trying to digest everything it saw – and that includes these new, rough terrain electric material handlers from Spanish equipment brand AUSA!

With the launch of the first-ever Class 8 vocational EV in the North American market, PACCAR Kenworth is raising the battery-electric bar and underscoring just how far the market has come since the Tesla Semi made its debut nearly a decade ago.

Capable of delivering up to 1,200 kW of power to get electric commercial trucks back on the road in minutes, the new ABB MCS1200 Megawatt Charging System is part of an ecosystem of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) that ABB’s bringing to this year’s ACT Expo.

UPDATE 03MAY2025: ABB reads Electrek (see above).

Earth Week may be winding to a close, but with electric vehicles being de rigueur at the busy west coast Port of Long Beach, it should come as no surprise that they’ve got put their EV fleet front and center at municipal events all week long.