Ryder System Inc. (NYSE: R) took delivery of two Workhorse Group (NASDAQ: WKHS) electric delivery vans, seemingly ahead of a large order from United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS).
Workhorse announced the deal with Ryder on Tuesday. On Monday, Workhorse got the go-ahead from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to sell its C-Series zero-emission vans. Under California’s Advanced Clean Truck regulation, all trucks in the state must run on electricity by 2045.
Neither Workhorse nor UPS responded to questions from FreightWaves about the UPS order of about 950 vans.
Workhorse is ramping up C-Series production. It is building about two vans a day. The goal is to assemble 300-400 this year at its plant in Union City, Indiana.
C-1000 in the COOP
Ryder will offer the C-1000 step vans through its ChoiceLease and SelectCare product lines. There also will be short-term rentals on COOP, a peer-to-peer truck sharing platform. COOP connects fleet managers to businesses looking to rent vehicles.
Ryder customers can get longer-term leases with service and charging at Ryder’s 19 electric vehicle (EV) sites. That includes two ABB direct current (DC) fast-charging stations in Fontana and Northridge, California.
“With COOP we can make the trucks available anywhere they are needed in California to allow easy customer transition to the next user,” Rich Mohr, Ryder Fleet Management Solutions vice president and chief technology officer told FreightWaves.
Ryder plans to build out its charging infrastructure for trucks across the country. It partners with In-Charge Energy.
“We see immediate opportunities for customers to realize the benefits of our electric vehicles and turnkey infrastructure model, starting with the Workhorse C-Series van,” said Chris Nordh, Ryder senior director of Advanced Vehicle Technology & Energy Products.
COOP exposes customers to the Workhorse vans without a long-term commitment, he added.
“Our customers have already expressed a strong interest in Workhorse’s vehicles. We are excited to bring this program forward,” Nordh said,
The accessibility of the C-Series vans should lead to more orders, Workhorse CEO Duane Hughes said.
100-mile range and 37 mpg equivalent
The C-1000 offers 1,000 cubic feet of cargo space. It weighs approximately 13,000 pounds when fully loaded. The composite body is lighter than aluminum. It is powered by a modular battery pack system and features a low-floor platform to make getting in and out easy for the driver.
The van is equipped with a telematics system that tracks real-time performance. The C-1000 travels nearly 100 miles on a single charge. It gets the equivalent of 37 mpg.
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