Workhorse Group Inc. hopes to begin production in 2018 on a plug-in hybrid light-duty pickup truck that the company says is designed for fleet usage.

The Workhorse W-15 would operate as an extended-range vehicle and provide 80 miles of electric range with a powertrain system that uses a gasoline engine as a generator. As such, the vehicle could help government fleets meet green vehicle procurement initiatives.

So far, Duke Energy, the city of Portland, and the city of Orlando have signed non-binding letters of intent to purchase the trucks. Duke Energy has said it could purchase as many as 500, reports the Cincinnati Business Courier.

Workhorse has included some specifications about the vehicle on its website. The W-15 would use lithium-ion battery technology to achieve 80 miles of range and provide 310 miles of total range. The company estimates miles per gallon equivalency at 75 in electric mode and 38 mpg on the highway as a hybrid.

The pickup would be 234 inches in length with a 151-inch wheelbase. Workhorse would offer the W-15 as a crew cab truck with a 7,200-pound GVW and 2,200 pounds of payload capacity.