Commercial EVs

As commercial EV startup REE Automotive chases full vehicle certification and first customer deliveries before year’s end, it’s touting some promising interest from fleet operators. Today, REE is reporting a significant increase in orders since August, with an order book now totaling $25 million.

Renault Group and Volvo Group have announced the forming of a new company together to help decarbonize the logistics industry. The new joint venture will specialize in developing a lineup of all-electric vans built atop a new LCV skateboard platform.

Close to six months after announcing a massive order from GM’s BrightDrop, logistics and vehicle rental specialist Ryder is deploying its first batch of electric vans across the US. The deployment kicks off Ryder’s process in adding 4,000 BrightDrop EVs to its fleet over the next two years.

Daimler recently launched a new class 4-5 medium-duty electric truck brand, RIZON, and we got a chance to kick the tires and drive one around.

We came away impressed at how well it drives (for an 18k GVWR vehicle) and how comfortable it feels like it would be on long shifts.

Veteran EV startup Mullen Automotive is touting a production milestone today as it has officially begun assembling its Mullen THREE Class 3 electric trucks. With production now underway in Mississippi, Mullen shared its timeline for customer deliveries in addition to annual output targets.

As freight logistics specialist Schneider National continues to electrify its fleet of regional and long-haul trucks, it decided to take charging into its own hands… at least in Southern California. The company just opened a new depot about half the size of a football field, capable of charging over 30 electric trucks simultaneously.

Autonomous freight technology developer Kodiak Robotics has unveiled an all-electric, self-driving Class 8 truck on display at the ACT Expo this week. The autonomous electric truck is a Peterbilt EV upfitted with Kodiak’s “Driver” sensor-pod technology. Check it out.

EV mobility developer REE Automotive has unveiled its latest vehicle design atop its modular P7 EV platform. The P7-C chassis cab completes REE’s trio of Class 3-5 electric truck options for commercial customers and will begin deliveries later this year.

Electrified fleet services provider InCharge Energy has launched a new portfolio of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) bidirectional chargers that can not only optimize fleet operations but also help bolster the available energy to local grids.

Veteran commercial EV manufacturer Motiv Power Systems has publicly unveiled its latest generation of all-electric trucks designed specifically for medium-duty fleets. Complete with a simplified design that promises more torque and enhanced range thanks to new battery chemistry, Motiv’s latest electric trucks look to expedite the commercial fleet segment’s transition to zero emissions.

Volvo Group is leading the charge towards a sustainable future as demand for fully electric trucks and buses continues building globally. Volvo Group delivered a total of 683 electric trucks in the first quarter of 2023, up 254% year-over-year (YOY).

Autonomous EV freight developer Einride continues to expand its global footprint of commercial vehicles, announcing plans to sustainably transport goods in the UK. Together with the Walkers brand under the PepsiCo umbrella, Einride’s electric vehicles are expected to reduce thousands of tons of CO2 emissions over the next three years.

Commercial EV startup Volta Trucks has achieved a pivotal milestone in its “Trucks as a Service” journey. The 16-ton Volta Zero truck has begun series production in Steyr, Austria, as the company begins a test drive program to educate customers and ensure quality before the first customer deliveries later this year.

Global construction giant Skanska is testing a “world-first” plug-in electric drilling rig on the largest infrastructure project in Europe.

Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania is expanding its zero-emission lineup by introducing the first Scania P 25 all-electric auto transporter. The 42-ton electric vehicle hauler could play a critical role in cutting emissions from the transportation industry.

Specialty vehicle manufacturer The Shyft Group has debuted its latest all-electric commercial vehicle designed for its Blue Arc sub-brand. The Class 5 all-electric crew cab was unveiled during NTEA’s Work Truck Week in Indianapolis this morning and will come equipped with some unique features you’ll want to see, including its dump-capable body. Video below.

Fennell Forestry has commissioned an all-electric logging truck conversion from Janus Electric to trial the technology through the Green Triangle region of South Australia. The 720 horsepower electric truck conversion kicks off a two year testing period to analyze performance and maintenance costs as the Australian government looks on before potentially investing in a future overhaul of the segment.

EV automaker Karma Automotive is further focusing its production strategy to support commercial EVs, more specifically B-ON, under a new manufacturing partnership announced this week. Karma will begin production this year at its ISO-certified facility in California with the capability to produce up to 30,000 electric vehicles annually with the intent to expand from there to meet the demand for B-ON’s vehicles.

EV mobility developer REE Automotive has publicly revealed who will supply the battery packs to its modular platforms. Microvast has signed a supply agreement with REE to provide its high-energy lithium-ion battery packs to “Powered by REE” modular EV technology as the latter works to bring commercial EVs to market, beginning with the P7 platform.

Ahead of its start of series production next quarter, commercial EV startup Volta Trucks announced it has locked in customer orders for over 300 of its all-electric Volta Zero trucks. These orders alone secure a huge chunk of the company’s overall production targets for 2023, representing customer demand and cause for optimism as Volta Trucks finally looks to begin initial EV deliveries and expand to additional markets.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has released its annual numbers for 2022 and is reporting strong output for its vehicles, including a doubling of EV deliveries dominated by the ID.Buzz electric van. Better still, the number of Buzz vans delivered last year is a mere fraction of what Volkswagen already has in its order books.