Morgan Olson is hoping to give last-mile delivery providers and independent contractors a better choice when it comes to vehicle selection.
The subsidiary of J.B. Pointdexter introduced two Class 2 walk-in vans at the NTEA Work Truck Show on Wednesday, one of which is a fully electric model. The Storm vans are designed with frequent-stop delivery operations in mind.
“Before the Storm, Class 2 choices were limited to cargo vans and cab chassis/cutaways,” explained Rich Tremmel, vice president of sales and marketing for Morgan Olson. “Morgan Olson’s Storm is clearing a new path for the thousands of customers, particularly in the commercial van segment, that have been forced to settle for a product that was fundamentally designed for consumer use.”
Tremmel noted that the Storm is built with commercial use in mind, including higher-quality doors, handles and other parts that are designed for commercial longevity.
“All the components and moving parts in the Storm body are proven long-life work truck solutions, just like the ones the world’s largest parcel delivery companies have relied on Morgan Olson to deliver year after year,” he said.
Both the Storm and the all-electric Storm are under 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, so they can be driven by anyone.
The electric version features a BMWi EV electric battery that is in use in over 65,000 vehicles in Europe.
The trucks feature a higher “seated” position for drivers, providing more visibility. The doors allow for easy entry and exit to the vehicle, potentially saving wear and tear on a driver’s muscles and leading to less fatigue as package delivery drivers enter and exit the vehicle hundreds of times each day.
Storm vehicles feature 360-degree cameras with split-view display, lane-keeping system and pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking. The vehicles are built on a Ford chassis but can also be adapted to a Fiat Chysler platform, Tremmel said.