Electric Box Trucks For Community Resource Project

• All-electric trucks for community home energy audits, weatherization and HVAC services to low-income residents
• Chassis based on Ford E-450; 14,500 GVWR
• Range of 85 miles
• Level II charging-100% in eight hours

Motiv Power Systems, a manufacturer of all-electric chassis with a software platform for the electrification of medium-duty trucks and buses, has announced the deployment of nine electric box trucks with Community Resource Project (CRP) in Sacramento, Calif.

The electric trucks will be deployed in the Sacramento area to provide home energy audits, weatherization and HVAC services to low-income residents. Motiv’s Ford eQVM-approved Electric Powered Intelligent Chassis (EPIC) E-450 chassis were outfitted with work truck bodies from Rockport Commercial Vehicles, Elkhart, Ind., purchased through South Bay Ford, Hawthorne, Calif. The vehicles have gone through pre-delivery inspection at Motiv’s newly opened Stockton, Calif. service center, which will also serve as the base for any repairs or maintenance.

The EPIC-450 is one of three Motiv chassis platforms for applications such as step vans, box trucks, work trucks, shuttle buses, school buses, trolleys, and other specialty vehicles.

According to Motiv, the EPIC-450 is based on a Ford E-450 chassis and has a 14,500 lbs. GVWR chassis rating. Range is listed as up to 85 miles. The chassis has 106 kWh battery pack capacity, 200 hp/150 kW power and can handle 17% gradeability. Top speed is listed as 65 mph.

The chassis has Level II charging, which Motiv said means a 50% charge time: in about hours; 75% charge time: in around 4 hours; and 100% charge time in about 8 hours. The chassis also over-the-air software updates for new features and functionality.

Funding for the electric vehicles (EVs) and charging infrastructure is from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD), California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).

“With recent reports showing the impact of poor air quality on human health, it is more important than ever to free fleets from fossil fuels,” said Matt O’Leary, Motiv Chairman and CEO. “Our proven software platform is providing the pathway to electrification, and thanks to our customers, we reached 1 million fleet miles in April.”

Motiv said it is focused on building a flexible system and a software platform that integrates already commercialized high-volume batteries, motors and other components into a chassis. This requires little to no engineering or redesign and provides vehicle configurations and compatibility with existing truck and bus bodybuilders. Motiv Chairman and CEO Matt O’Leary, said its software platform is providing the pathway to electrification, we reached 1 million fleet miles in April.”

Motiv said the EPIC concept allows battery technology and chemistry to be “agnostic,” ensuring that the battery parameters, regardless of chemistry or manufacturer, are specified for each application, providing flexibility in configuring each vehicle with the right amount of battery capacity, relative to desired payload and range, for its intended application.

“Motiv took the innovative approach of partnering with chassis original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and truck builders like Rockport to electrify the chassis in a way that allows us to run bodies down our assembly line just as we do with any other chassis,” said Caleb Pontius, general manager at Rockport Commercial Vehicles by Forest River Inc. “Safety, battery size/type, gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), and other specifications are driving the build versus being an afterthought, which is also an ideal set-up for scaling.”

Utilizing fifth generation software, Motiv has over 100 vehicles on the road, providing customers with greater than 99 percent uptime. Customers include USPS, Aramark, AmeriPride, Bimbo Bakeries, Winnebago Industries, and several school districts across the country.