Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services, a business unit of Spartan Motors that goes to market under the Utilimaster, Spartan Upfit Services and Strobes-R-Us brands, recently introduced three new vehicle platforms.
The fleet vehicles, including two fully electric vehicle (EV) platforms, alongside a truck body specifically developed for last-mile grocery delivery, were unveiled by Daryl Adams, Spartan Motors’ president and chief executive officer.
“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,” Adams said.
Among the vehicle reveals were two electrified chassis, including a walk-in van designed in collaboration with Motiv Power Systems. The chassis is powered by lithium ion batteries and includes technologies such as a collision mitigation system, 360-degree cameras displayed on a 9-inch HD in-dash monitor and DOT sensors.
The Utilimaster walk-in van powered by Motiv’s EV chassis offers the same performance as a traditional fuel-equivalent vehicle, Spartan said, at an 85% reduction in operating costs and 66% reduction in maintenance costs, over the life of the vehicle.
The second electrified chassis revealed 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, its powertrain boasts a state-of-the-art battery system, giving drivers an 85-mile range, a 3,200-pound payload and an charge time less than six hours. This zero-emission EV platform is a “market-changing innovation” for parcel and non-parcel delivery fleets in a GVWR Class-3 platform, the company said.
Currently, the Reach vehicle is being used on parcel delivery routes across North America.
Spartan’s final reveal was a last-mile grocery delivery vehicle.
This temperature-controlled truck body features a fully customizable and configurable cargo area with climate-controlled zones for refrigerated, frozen and ambient-temperature goods.
“From EV solutions to fresh approaches to grocery and food deliveries, again Spartan and Utilimaster emerge as first in the last mile,” Adams said.