Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services, a business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. which goes to market under the Utilimaster, Spartan Upfit Services and Strobes-R-Us go-to-market brands, recently introduced three vehicle platforms: two fully electric vehicle (EV) platforms and a truck body developed for last-mile grocery delivery.
Among the introductions are two electrified chassis, including an innovative walk-in van in collaboration with Motiv Power Systems. The chassis is powered by lithium ion batteries and includes technologies, including collision mitigation system, 360-degree cameras displayed on a 9-in. HD in-dash monitor and DOT sensors, among other features. The Utilimaster walk-in van powered by Motiv’s EV chassis offers the same performance as a traditional fuel equivalent vehicle, at an 85 percent reduction in operating costs and 66 percent reduction in maintenance costs over the life of the vehicle, the company says.
The second electrified chassis is the first for Spartan Motors and Cummins as they collaborated to provide an electrified last-mile delivery vehicle, specifically designed for the parcel delivery market. Built on Isuzu’s strip chassis, the same chassis leveraged by Utilimaster’s Reach vehicle, Spartan says the powertrain boasts a state-of-the-art battery system giving drivers an 85-mile range, a 3,200 lb. payload and a less than six-hour charge time. Currently, the Reach vehicle is being used on parcel delivery routes across North America, the company says.
“By introducing these new vehicles and corresponding technologies, our goal is to advance the future of electric vehicles for the last-mile delivery segment; and in doing so, create a better experience for our customers, operators and consumers,” says CEO Daryl Adams.
Spartan’s last-mile grocery delivery vehicle is a temperature-controlled truck body featuring a fully customizable and configurable cargo area with climate-controlled zones, for refrigerated, frozen and ambient temperature goods.
