These days, more and more outfitters are getting in the electric, hybrid electric, and alternative fuels space in the commercial truck and van market. Most recently, that includes Penske and Roush, as well as automotive manufacturers like Rivan and Ford. Now, XL Fleet is adding a hybrid electric Ford F-550 Super Duty chassis to their already expansive lineup, too.
The new system was developed and brought to market in a mere six months following increasing demand for an electrified Ford F-550 Super Duty offering. These chassis can be used in applications including municipal transportation, utilities, construction equipment, and customer service vehicles.
XL Fleet will upfit the Class 5 vehicles with the new hybrid-electric drive system and begin customer deliveries by the end of 2020. The benefits of such a system are plentiful as well – in addition to significant fuel savings for fleet customers, XL says that the trucks will also reduce greenhouse emissions and help fleets meet their suitability goals.
“We are proud to further expand our portfolio of electrification solutions with the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers. The launch of the electrified F-550 platform is a great example of XL Fleet’s responsive business model and best-in-class engineering capabilities,” said Dimitri Kazarinoff, Chief Executive Officer of XL Fleet. “It also showcases the Company’s ability to quickly bring new electrification products to market when customer demand warrants it.”
“Our product development strategy remains focused on providing sustainable solutions for a wide range of popular fleet vehicles not being electrified by OEMs,” said Tod Hynes, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of XL Fleet. “The commercial market for electrified medium to heavy-duty vehicles is large but very fragmented. XL Fleet’s nimble product development approach enables the Company to be very responsive to customer demand, particularly in Class 5-6 and Class 7-8 ranges where EV options are extremely limited.”
In addition to the new Ford F-550 hybrid, XL Fleet also offers plug-in hybrid versions of the Ford F-150 and Ford F-250, as well as regular hybrid versions of the F-250, Ford Transit cargo and passenger vans, Ford E-Series cutaways and stripped chassis, and Ford F-59 stripped chassis.
We’ll have more on the electrification of commercial vehicles very soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford Super Duty news, and ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comment
That would be a nice thing for an airport/hotel shuttle bus chassis for those who would not want 100% electric yet.