USA company developing pure electric terminal truck

The electrification of heavy-duty commercial vehicles continues in different applications, as a USA-based EV manufacturer is driving further change by repowering vocational trucks used by the shipping and logistics industry.

Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Orange EV is developing a pure battery electric operated heavy-duty terminal truck suited to 24-hour operation in a port or logistics and distribution facility.

On August 18, the company announced it was taking orders for new vehicles with a USD $10,000 deposit for customers to secure pricing and priority.

The company started out by employing a similar business model to California-based WrightSpeed, where it takes existing vehicles such as the diesel-powered Kalmar Ottawa terminal truck, and remanufactures the vehicle with its pure electric powertrain technology.

Orange EV chief commercial officer Mike Saxton says the Orange T-Series, offers a faster, and lower-cost method for customers to begin their migration to electric trucks.

“In producing the T-Series, Orange EV completely remanufactures existing vehicles and delivers to operators a new terminal truck they already know,” says Saxton.

“This approach minimizes the change companies must manage as they begin deploying electric terminal trucks,” he says.

Now customers can also buy a new brand new vehicle, offered through Orange EV’s collaboration with terminal truck manufacturer Kalmar Ottawa.

According to Saxton, Kalmar Ottawa tested Orange EV’s T-Series and concluded that it is the first electric terminal truck that matches the performance and reliability for which the brand is known.

In June 2016, Orange EV fulfilled an initial order for its T-Series terminal truck destined for a 24/7 manufacturing and distribution facility in Chicago, Illinois.