Motiv introduces Argo, a new kind of medium-duty electric truck
Motiv Power Systems, a 14-year veteran of the electric truck industry, has just announced Argo, a new medium-duty Class 4-6 truck designed from the ground up to be electric, available in 2024.
Electric trucking is a hot sector right now due to new rules adopted by California requiring rapid electrification of commercial fleets. These rules mean about 20,000 medium-duty electric trucks will need to be deployed by the end of 2024.
And Motiv hopes that it can have the Argo in production by late next year and hopes to provide possibly a thousand of those vehicles (an optimistic number, given that it currently only has 180 vehicles deployed in the field).
Motiv has provided trucks to Cintas, Bimbo Bakeries, and Purolator but is hoping to double its total delivered fleet this year and then scale up quickly to match the tsunami of demand it sees coming in 2024 and 2025.
Motiv says the experience and feedback it has collected through its years of providing EVs to its customers has helped it design the Argo to better fit real-world needs. Its cab features a command seating position (helping to bring the battery forward, taking some weight off the rear axle) but has taken some lessons from the step van world and included stairs rather than a ladder for easier entry and exit.
Argo will be built on Motiv’s next-generation platform, which it announced in April. The platform uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are cheaper and more durable than lithium-ion, but don’t offer quite as much energy density.
But even with a relatively less dense LFP battery, Motiv says the Argo will offer 150 miles of range with its base 158 kWh battery, even when loaded to its max 26,000 lb gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). There will be an additional three-module 237 kWh option available, which will give over 200 miles of range.
Motiv says its powertrain, co-developed with Nidec, makes up to 1,770 lb-ft of torque, which is as much as a Class 8 diesel truck, but in a Class 4-6 package. This gives it better performance than any gasoline-powered equivalent when fully loaded (4-6 tons).
In the face of new regulations and to fulfill ESG commitments, companies are scrambling to make plans, and the cost of trucks and availability of charging are two major questions for fleets as they get ready for electrification.
Motiv thinks the Argo offers better answers to these questions for many fleets. It hasn’t yet announced a price for the Argo but wants to keep it under $250,000 (before a commercial EV tax credit of up to $40,000) – which it says is lower than competitors like the Freightliner eM2.
This, of course, comes alongside much lower operational costs and higher uptime than diesel trucks, and Motiv says Argo will have a simpler powertrain with less cabling and fewer parts than its electric competition as well, leading to potentially lower maintenance costs.
Argo will also use a 400-volt DC charging system capable of 65 kW, differing from some of its competitors, which are going with 800-volt systems. Motiv thinks the lower voltage will offer an advantage in that it can interface with existing DC chargers from the light-duty world, which should make charging easier. For AC charging, it has a 19.2 kW onboard charger. Argo will likely use the NACS connector, but Motiv hasn’t decided yet since things are changing rapidly on that front.
That DC charge rate seems low compared to light-duty vehicles, but the fleets that Motiv services tend to have defined routes and long park times at the end of the day. It figures most customers will charge overnight on an 80-amp charger and recommends that as the optimal charging solution.
Argo is available for pre-order now, but prototypes won’t be out until early 2024, with vehicle deliveries in late 2024. You can find out more about the Argo on Motiv’s website.
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Environment
Tesla is now buying ads on Elon Musk’s X to get people to vote for his $1 trillion compensation
Tesla is now buying advertising on Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) to get Tesla shareholders to vote for his CEO compensation package worth up to $1 trillion in stock options.
Tesla, under Elon Musk’s leadership, has famously been against advertising. The CEO is even on the record saying that he “hates advertising” and that “other companies spend money on advertising and manipulating public opinion, Tesla focuses on the product.”
However, that was before he acquired Twitter, now X, which relies heavily on advertising.
After that, he started to push Tesla to do some advertising, but the company quickly stopped or greatly reduced its advertising efforts.
We reported that Tesla’s advertising effort picked back up last week, starting with a few Google ads to encourage Tesla shareholders to vote for Musk’s new unprecedented CEO compensation package worth up to $1 trillion.
The automaker is in a full-on marketing blitz to convince shareholders to vote for the package and to allow Tesla to issue more shares in exchange.
Now, Tesla is even buying social media ads to push shareholders to vote for Musk’s compensation package and they are even buying ads on Musk’s privately owned platform, X:
They are also buying ads on Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit.
As we previously reported, Tesla’s board has claimed that voting for the compensation package will determine the future of Tesla.
Musk went even further and linked his compensation package to the future of the world.
Earlier today, the CEO claimed that his compensation plan is not about money, but about control over Tesla:
It’s not about “compensation”, but about me having enough influence over Tesla to ensure safety if we build millions of robots. If I can just get kicked out in the future by activist shareholder advisory firms who don’t even own Tesla shares themselves, I’m not comfortable with that future.
The CEO previously threatened Tesla shareholders not to build AI products at Tesla, despite claiming they were critical to the company’s future, if he doesn’t get 25% control over the company.
Electrek’s Take
The CEO of a publicly traded company threatens shareholders to gain control over the company and uses company funds to purchase ads that benefit his privately held company, with the goal of persuading the shareholders of the publicly traded company to give him more money.
If that’s not late-stage capitalism, I don’t know what is.
Also, I know I won’t shock anyone here, but Elon is lying about this not being about money.
If he wants to increase his percentage of Tesla shares, he could do exactly what his friend Larry Ellison did with Oracle and do long-term buybacks. It would benefit everyone, but it’s not what he wants. He wants the shiny new stock options.
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Voltpost just rolled out the Voltpost Air, its next-gen lamppost EV charger in New York City, and this one comes with a key twist: it’s mounted 10 feet above ground.
The Voltpost Air uses that elevated design with a retractable cable system to protect against weather damage and vandalism, setting it apart from Voltpost’s original curbside charger. It’s also built for faster installation, broader pole compatibility, and better reliability.
It can be installed on both wooden and metal lampposts and utility poles, curbside or in parking lots. Site hosts can deploy one or two chargers per pole, making it a flexible option for cities and property owners. Drivers can pay with the app or by tapping with a credit card. Voltpost Air supports Level 2 charging, up to 9.6 kW per charging port.
Luke Mairo, COO and cofounder of Voltpost, said that “the modular design and quick installation reduce costs and complexity, making it easier than ever to expand charging infrastructure.” Voltpost is already operating chargers in Oak Park, Illinois, and at the American Center for Mobility near Detroit. The company has projects underway in New York, California, Michigan, Illinois, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Former US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation executive director Gabe Klein, now a Voltpost board advisor, said, “The transition to renewable transportation requires bold, scalable solutions that can integrate seamlessly into existing urban infrastructure. Technologies like Voltpost’s lamppost chargers are vital because they unlock new opportunities to deploy EV charging.”
The Brooklyn installation is part of New York City Economic Development Corporation’s (NYCEDC) Pilots at Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) program, which supports climate-tech companies in scaling new solutions. It’s expected to be available to the public by the end of the year. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) president and CEO Doreen M. Harris called the model “highly replicable” and said it could be adopted across New York State.
Voltpost Air is now available for deployment at public and private sites.
Read more: Voltpost just flipped the switch on its first public lamppost EV charger
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Environment
Kia’s electric van was spotted in the US again, but this time it looks a little different
Is Kia’s electric van finally coming to the US? The Kia PV5 was caught testing with a unique design, hinting it’s destined for the US.
Is Kia’s electric van coming to the US?
Although Kia has yet to announce it publicly, all signs point to the PV5 launching in the US. In February, the electric van was first spotted charging at a station in Indiana.
A few photos and a video sent to Electrek confirmed it was indeed the Kia PV5. The sighting came somewhat as a surprise, as the only official statement from Kia said the PV5 would arrive in Europe and South Korea this year, followed by “launches in other markets” in 2026, but no mention was made of the US.
After another PV5 was spotted in Arizona, rumors that Kia’s electric van was coming to the US began to surface again.
Kia still has yet to confirm or deny a US launch, but another sighting hints at the PV5’s imminent debut. The latest spotting, by KindelAuto, appears to be of the US-spec 2026 Kia PV5.
It looks about the same as the Kia PV5 Passenger, which is already available in parts of Europe and South Korea. However, although it’s not very clear, Kia’s electric van appears to have added side marker lights, a requirement in the US.
Following its launch in the UK earlier this year, the Kia PV5 Passenger is now being introduced to new European markets.
In the UK, it starts at £32,995 ($44,000) on the road. In Germany, the PV5 Passenger is priced from €38,290 ($45,000) or €249 per month.
Kia’s electric van is available in two variants: Passenger, for everyday driving, and Cargo, for business use. The PV5 Passenger is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 183 miles and 256 miles, respectively. Meanwhile, several more variants are on the way.
During its PV5 Tech Day in July, we learned that Kia plans to launch seven PV5 body types, including a Light Camper, a premium “Prime” Passenger model, and an open bed version.
We’ll have to wait for the official word, but there’s still hope Kia’s electric van will make it to the US. We should find out soon. Can we get the EV5 too? That might be pushing it.
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