Commercial EV manufacturer Lion Electric has announced that Vermont energy provider Green Mountain Power will purchase two of its all-electric heavy duty trucks. The purchase includes a Lion8 bucket truck for line crews and a Lion6 truck for electrical maintenance crews in the field.
The Lion Electric Co. ($LEV) designs and manufactures zero emission versions of Class 5 to Class 8 commercial trucks and all-electric buses. Since being founded in 2011, Lion Electric has continually grown its fleet of heavy-duty all-electric offerings, as well as its customer base.
This past May, Electrek reported that Lion Electric had agreed upon a $70 million investment to build a medium and heavy-duty manufacturing facility in Joliet, Illinois.
Construction is currently under way, and the manufacturer expects heavy-duty EVs to begin rolling off production lines in the second half of next year.
Green Mountain Power is the largest energy provider in the state of Vermont, and delivers 95% carbon-free electricity to its customers.
With its new purchase from Lion Electric, Green Mountain Power now looks to make its fleet of trucks as carbon-free as its electricity.
Green Mountain Power to buy two trucks from Lion Electric
In a press release from Lion Electric, the heavy-duty truck manufacturer announced Green Mountain Power will be purchasing two trucks – a Lion8 electric bucket truck, and a Lion6 stake body truck.
With the pending purchase, GMP becomes one of the first utility companies in New England to transition part of its fleet to all-electric heavy-duty trucks. GMP president and CEO Mari McClure comments on the purchase:
Electrifying our heavy-duty field operations fleet to reduce carbon emissions as we travel the state keeping the lights on and building a more resilient grid is a critical next step in our work to eliminate fossil fuels from our operations. Transportation with fossil-fueled vehicles is the top source of carbon emissions in Vermont and we’re proud to start the process of converting our line truck fleet to clean electric trucks.
This initial purchase could very well be the beginning of a full transition of GMP’s fleet to zero-emission trucks developed and manufactured by Lion Electric. Lion’s CEO and founder, Marc Bedard, spoke about this purchase and its potential for more in the future:
As a clean energy leader, Vermont is a great example of how to integrate sustainable energy and electrified transportation, which is key to creating a successful sustainable society and economy in the future. With reduced emissions and noise pollution, these trucks will eliminate emissions in the communities where they operate while saving on fleet costs, and we look forward to growing our relationship with GMP in the future.
Lion Electric expects to deliver the first truck on GMP’s order sometime in the first half of 2022, followed by the second heavy-duty EV next summer.
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