Commercial vehicle makers dive into EVs

Increasingly stringent state and federal environmental regulations combined with corporate sustainability goals have created a rapidly developing market for zero-emission commercial vehicles that includes everything from delivery vans to work trucks to big rigs.

Legacy truck manufacturers and new entrants are moving to fill the need. Their products include the electric Freightliner Class 8 eCascadia and many smaller chassis cabs and specialty vehicles from a host of startups. The market is fueled by government-backed incentives, including those of the Inflation Reduction Act, that range from $7,500 for Class 3 vehicles weighing 14,000 pounds or less to up to $40,000 for medium- and heavy-duty trucks weighing more than 14,000 pounds. States such as California offer incentives that can top $200,000 depending on the vehicle and the buyer.

Here's a look at the major new and established commercial truck companies and their product plans:

Last year, the New Philadelphia, Ohio, company launched production of the EV City Tractor, an electric platform that can work for Class 6, 7 and 8 trucks. The platform is tailored for urban delivery and logistics in regions with stringent environmental regulations and noise constraints. It has a range of 100 to 200 miles, depending on configurations and a gross vehicle weight rating of 50,000 pounds.

In 2024, Battle Motors will unveil its EV roll-off truck tailored for waste management. It is designed to transport large containers to disposal or recycling facilities and subsequently swap them out for empty containers. The platform has a range of 130 to 150 miles and a gross vehicle weight rating ranging from 26,000 to 54,000 pounds.

The Oak Park, Mich., company plans to start producing the B4 chassis cab, a Class 4 truck, in the spring. It is powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries made by Our Next Energy, and an electric motor made by Dana that is mounted to the rear axle. The cab is sourced from a Chinese manufacturer. Bollinger said a Class 5 chassis cab — using the same technology as the B4 but on a stretched frame — is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. Bollinger chassis will be built under contract by Roush.

The General Motors brand halted production in October of its Zevo 600 electric last-mile delivery van as engineers work out kinks in battery pack production. Supply chain issues, GM said, have also put the van far behind schedule. GM plans to resume assembly at its Ingersoll, Ontario, plant in the spring. The Zevo 600 can travel as far as 250 miles on a charge and can haul as much as 2,450 pounds.

The U.S. division of the Chinese electric car and truck company, in Los Angeles, plans to unveil this year the fourth generation of its 8Y terminal tractor, or yard truck, used to move containers around ports and distribution centers. BYD also is selling its third-generation Class 6 chassis and cab truck and the 8TT, a Class 8 day cab tractor.

At least some of the Justin, Texas, company's Lifestyle Vehicles are in the hands of customers. Walmart is testing a delivery van version, a Class 3 vehicle, and three have been delivered to NASA to transport astronauts to rockets in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The vehicle rides on a skateboard chassis and has a 200-mile range.

Daimler's Freightliner division was to begin production of the eM2 medium-duty electric truck late last year. It can be equipped as a box truck for pickup and delivery applications or as the base for a work truck. It will have a range of 180 to 230 miles and a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds and 33,000 pounds depending on the configuration.

Daimler launched the Rizon brand of electric medium-duty trucks last year. The first three are the e18L, the e16L and the e16M. The Class 4 and 5 medium-duty trucks range in gross vehicle weight from 15,995 to 17,995 pounds and will have a range of 75 to 160 miles depending on the variant and size of its battery pack.

Daimler also is developing a hydrogen fuel cell Class 8 truck. Production plans are pending while development continues. A prototype was driven 650 miles in Europe last year on a single filling of hydrogen. Daimler Truck North America, of Portland, Ore., has plans for what it calls "seed units" in the next few years and production vehicles by the end of the decade.

The Garden Grove, Calif., startup said it is on schedule to begin producing its electric Class 4, 5 and 6 chassis cab in the first quarter. The chassis will be powered by a 470-hp, 14-pole permanent magnet motor mounted on an e-axle/gearbox and combined with the power electronics. The front suspension's double wishbone configuration reduces the turning radius and cab overhang. Wheelbase options range from 158 inches to 208 inches. The battery pack is scalable in 35-watt-hour increments.

Kenworth started delivering small quantities of two battery electric trucks in 2022, the Class 8 T680E with a range of 150 miles, depending on the application, and the Class 6 K270E and Class 7 K370E siblings with a range of up to 200 miles.

Kenworth, of Kirkland, Wash., also is working on its T680 FCEV, a Class 8 long-haul tractor with Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell technology. Kenworth also plans deliveries this year of the T680, which has a range of up to 450 miles. It plans full serial production in 2025 and is accepting deposits for the first builds.

The Loveland, Colo., company offers a portfolio of electrified buses and last-mile delivery vans based on vehicles produced by major automakers. Lightning engineers remove the internal combustion engine powertrain and install the company's own electric motor, power electronics and battery pack. Lightning CEO Tim Reeser said the company plans to produce its own electric Class 3 passenger van and Class 4 chassis cab. Both, he told Automotive News, are expected to be in production this year.

The Troy, Mich., company started production of a Class 3 chassis cab in August. The vehicle is partially built in China, then shipped to Tunica, Miss., where final assembly with a domestically sourced battery pack and other North American-made parts takes place.

Nikola launched production of the Tre FCEV, its hydrogen fuel cell Class 8 truck last year. The Phoenix company is also working on an update of its Tre BEV, a battery electric semitractor.

Shyft's Class 3, 4 and 5 Blue Arc electric delivery vans have been delayed. Supply chain issues and the construction of a new plant have pushed back the start of production until this year for the Novi, Mich., company, spokesman Scott Worden said. Shyft, formerly Spartan Motors, has at least 2,000 preorders for the Blue Arc vans, which can travel as far as 225 miles in city driving on a single charge.

The Auburn Hills, Mich., company plans to produce Class 2 to Class 5 electric chassis cabs, with the first models slated to be built this year.

The Aldergrove, British Columbia, company is delivering the VMC1200, a Class 3 electric truck available with numerous body styles. The 120-kW motor delivers a top speed of 65 mph. The truck can go 150 miles on a charge.

Mack Trucks, a division of Volvo Group North America of Greensboro, N.C., started producing the Mack MD Electric Class 6 and 7 models last year. The Class 6 model has a gross vehicle weight rating of 25,995 pounds, and the Class 7 model is 33,000 pounds. The range varies depending on the type of work each customer does per day, the type of route and the number of stops. On average, an MD Electric is capable of up to 230 miles before requiring charging.

Volvo Trucks, also of Greensboro, is developing a hydrogen fuel cell Class 8 truck that it has said should be ready for production this decade. It has not provided more specific information but is testing prototypes of the vehicle in hot and cold weather settings in Europe.

The White Bear Lake, Minn., company was supposed to deliver at least five trucks to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District in California last year. But it didn't happen because Zeus is reengineering its chassis and retooling its business model, Managing Director Dave Stenson said. The new plan calls for Zeus to launch a Class 5 electric chassis in the second quarter of this year. The chassis will have an 800-volt electrical system and a dual wheel e-axle. Zeus' original chassis cab, laid down more than three years ago, would have been obsolete at launch, Stenson said. A Class 4 and a Class 6 version are also in Zeus' plans.