Proterra, a maker of commercial vehicle electrification technology, and Lightning eMotors announced a new collaboration on March 18 to power the Generation 4 Lightning Electric Transit commercial van using Proterra’s battery technology.

The Lightning Electric Transit commercial van is a purpose-built Class 3 commercial electric vehicle that is available in configurations like last-mile cargo vans, passenger vans, shuttle buses, ambulances, school buses and RVs. 

Lightning eMotors anticipates annual production of up to 3,000 Lightning Electric Transits by 2023. The first Lightning Electric Transits are expected to be delivered to customers later this year.

Built by Lightning eMotors, the Lightning Electric Transit is the only Class 3 electric van currently available in the U.S. that allows for wheelchair lifts, custom floor rails, and custom bus doors, according to the company. Lightning eMotors offers high-voltage integration to support battery operation of refrigeration systems, food-truck equipment, medical equipment, RV gear, and other upfitter add-ons.

Assembly of the Lightning Electric Transit is performed at Lightning eMotors’ 231,000-square-foot facility in Loveland, Colorado.

Lightning eMotors offers range of medium-duty battery-electric commercial vehicles, including Class 3 cargo and passenger vans, Class 4 and 5 cargo vans and shuttle buses, Class 6 work trucks, school buses, Class 7 city buses, and Class A motor coaches. The company has delivered more zero-emission medium-duty commercial EVs than any other manufacturer in North America, according to Lighting eMotors CEO Tim Reeser.

Proterra partners with commercial vehicle manufacturers to power delivery vans, electric school buses, coach buses, low-floor cutaway shuttle buses, and construction equipment. 

Proterra battery packs are customizable to fit within a variety of vehicles and claim industry-leading energy density, according to the company. Proterra’s battery systems have been subjected to more than 17 million service miles in Proterra transit vehicles.

The partnership follows a string of recent announcements for both companies.

After recently moving its headquarters and expanding its square footage, in January Lightning eMotors added another 107,000 square feet on its headquarters campus for a total of 231,000 square feet of space for operations.

The company announced the hiring of a new chief procurement officer, Steve Ivsan, in March.  

Proterra, with offices in Silicon Valley, South Carolina, and Los Angeles, announced the opening of a new battery production line in December 2020, co-located in its EV bus manufacturing facility in Los Angeles County.

In January, Proterra announced it will become publicly listed through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The transaction represents an enterprise value of $1.6 billion for Proterra.