Transforming the Commercial Electric Vehicle Market

In 2014, Mullen Automotive set out to create clean and scalable electric vehicles and energy solutions.

Recognizing the impacts of global fossil fuel dependence, Founder & CEO David Michery launched with the intent to accelerate electrification and the adoption of electric vehicles.

“We’ve developed a complementary portfolio of products including a variety of both commercial and retail vehicles, including our Class 1 Cargo Van, the Mullen ONE, Class 3 Low-Cab-Forward (LCF), the Mullen THREE, Mullen FIVE, MullenGT, and our sister brand Bollinger’s B1, B2, B4, B5, and B6,” said John Schwegman, chief commercial officer at Mullen Automotive.

Mullen Tackles Commercial Electric Vehicles

As electrification needs and requirements evolved over the last decade, Mullen saw a gap in the industry for commercial and government fleets.

“Unlike traditional OEMs with a focus on retail, we recognize that fleets are struggling to obtain their requested orders due to allocation of vehicles,” Schwegman explained. “With unmet needs and our products perfectly suited for the commercial market, Mullen is strategically aligned to assist fleets in meeting mandated electrification requirements and enrichen their electric vehicle portfolios.”

Schwegman added that filling these gaps and immediately reducing carbon emissions is why Mullen launched its “Fleet-First Strategy” targeting commercial production.

“We are excited to launch and bring to market two commercial products this year, our all-electric Class 1 Cargo Van and our all-electric Class 3 Low-Cab-Forward,” he said.

As Mullen commences production of its commercial vehicles, the company is also developing solutions to support end-users. Mullen’s advanced in-house telematics includes maintenance alerts, real-time vehicle location, driver safety monitoring, and battery tracking.

Partnering Strategically & Commercial Production Prep

Mullen recognizes that strategic partnerships and acquisitions accelerate the timeline to shared goals and increase manufacturing capacity.

“Today, Mullen has two manufacturing facilities with plenty of capacity to produce both our commercial and retail vehicles. By investing in a complimentary commercial brand, Bollinger Motors, our vehicle line expands across the entire light- and medium-duty truck industry covering Classes 1 through 6,” Schwegman explained.

Mullen Commercial has also teamed up with Loop Global to provide a complete EV ecosystem with a range of readily available charging infrastructure solutions and Loops’ EVFaaS, an electric-vehicle-as-a-service program.

Demonstrations, Pilots & Fleet Deliveries

Today, Mullen is in the pilot and delivery phase with several customers.

“We are thrilled to have our first deliveries earlier this year in March. We have an inventory of Campus Delivery vans at our dealer partner, Randy Marion Automotive Group, and vehicles delivered to customers, including University of North Carolina – Charlotte and MGT Leasing,” Schwegman noted. “The demand for our commercial vehicles has been strong, leading to a line-up of pilot programs and individualized demonstrations.”

Currently, Mullen has pilot programs ongoing and targeted with British Airways, Unifi Aviation, LLC, Phenix Truck Bodies and Equipment, Hub Truck, Fluid Truck, and several universities.

“We’ve also recently added the availability of the Mullen THREE pre-production units for customer demos and test drives. With our first-mover advantage in the Class 1 and Class 3 EV segments, we are excited about our two key launches in 2023,” he added.

Looking Toward an Electrified Commercial Future

Mullen Automotive is laser-focused on ramping up production, launching commercial products, and filling the gaps nationwide in commercial and government fleets.

“We are incredibly excited to be transforming the industry as we bring our commercial products to market this year. Not only are our vehicles entirely electric; our Class 1 Cargo Van is the first of its kind in the U.S. market,” Schwegman said. “As other OEMs have exited the small van space, we see that the market requires commercial vehicles of all sizes.”

One of Mullen’s main goals is connecting with key fleet customers, fleet management companies, government entities, and upfitters.

“As we target our next milestones, Mullen plans to develop variants of our current portfolio and expand product lines,” Schwegman concluded.