Lightning eMotors, a provider of zero-emission, medium-duty commercial vehicles and electric vehicle (EV) technology for fleets, announced production launch of its next-generation General Motors (GM)-based Lightning ZEV4 work trucks. 

This news follows the company’s recent announcements of accelerated ZEV4 production to meet customer demands for Class 4 school buses and shuttle buses built on the same popular platform. 

A Variety of Electric Work Truck Options 

Lightning is offering the ZEV4 for several vocational fleet applications, including but not limited to:

• Box trucks.

• Stake bed trucks.

• Utility trucks.

• Dump bed trucks.

• Daily work/landscaping trucks.

• Cargo delivery vehicles.

• Shuttle buses.

• School buses. 

“Success in the commercial vehicle electrification market frequently revolves around providing customized products to meet the specific use cases of customers. This is where we have carved our niche,” said Lightning eMotors CEO Tim Reeser. “The fact that our trusted ZEV4 platforms can be built to accommodate such a broad set of applications is a huge benefit to our customers and positions Lightning well to be the vehicle manufacturer of choice for the growing medium-duty commercial vehicle market.”

Lightning’s ZEV4 platform is compatible with a variety of bodies from manufacturers, including, but not limited to, Knapheide, Rockport Trucks, Brown Industries, and Morgan Corporation. At current production volumes, ZEV4 work trucks are typically available for delivery four-to-six months from the order date. 

The Lightning ZEV4 model comes equipped with 120 kWh batteries located safely within the frame rails, delivering 241 horsepower, 790 lb.-ft. of torque, up to 130 miles of range, and improved weight distribution for better handling and improved safety.

The Lightning ZEV4 is capable of fast-charging Level 2 AC and 80kW DC. 

Reducing Fleet Electrification Costs

Several state and federal-level funding programs are available across North America to help accelerate fleet vehicle electrification efforts and offset the cost significantly.  

In the United States, state-level programs, including California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP), New York’s Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), New Jersey’s Zero-Emission Incentive Program (NJZIP), and Colorado’s Clean Fleet Vehicle & Technology Grant Program, among others, can provide up to $100,000 in incentives per Class 4 vehicle. 

Federally, the United States passing of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure and Jobs Act and incentives that are part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act – including the Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit – have provided billions in new funding for both commercial EV acquisition and EV infrastructure. 

Canadian incentive programs, including Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles Program (iMHZEV), the Zero-Emission Transit Fund, and the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, can not only help offset the cost of fleet vehicle electrification to nearly zero as many of these programs can be stacked, but they also provide funding to accelerate the provision of EV charging solutions, both mobile (such as Lightning Mobile) and as installed infrastructure.

“There has never been a better time for Class 4 work truck operators to upgrade their fleets to zero-emission vehicle technology,” said Lightning eMotors CRO Kash Sethi. “Aggressive funding programs – many of which can be stacked to optimize both purchase subsidies and tax incentives – combined with advanced data tracking and insights capabilities and the reliability and proven performance of our GM-based Lightning ZEV4 create a near-perfect environment for operators to act.”