Lightning customer Goodfood Market Corp., Canada’s leading online grocery company, becomes the first private entity in Canada to deploy fully electric refrigerated delivery vans
LOVELAND, Colo. – Lightning eMotors (NYSE: ZEV), a leading provider of all-electric powertrains and medium-duty and specialty commercial electric fleet vehicles, announced today the successful delivery and deployment of ten (10) all-electric cargo vans to Montreal, Canada-based Goodfood Market Corp. (TSX:FOOD) This delivery marks Lightning eMotors’ initial entry into Canada’s commercial electric vehicle market, and the first deployment in Canada of a fully electric refrigerated vehicle fleet.
“We are excited about partnering with Goodfood to help better serve their grocery delivery customers, save on operational costs, and reduce emissions as they set the bar for a sustainable future in Canada,” Tim Reeser, CEO of Lightning eMotors said. “While this is our first customer in Canada, we see tremendous potential for growth as demand for last-mile delivery continues to increase and through the many other electric commercial vehicles we offer.”
Lightning eMotors electrified T-350HD cargo vans for Goodfood by installing an all-electric powertrain, electrical infrastructure, and control software to support the vehicle. Each of the refrigerated electric vehicles deployed by Goodfood has an estimated range of 120 miles/195 kilometers on a full charge of its 86 kWh battery pack, regenerative braking for improved efficiency, and can comfortably hit 75 miles/120km per hour.
Supported by a supplier and integration partnership with Volta Air, the electrified fleet also boasts a dedicated, 12-volt battery-powered refrigeration system to optimize delivery range in support of Goodfood’s same-day/last-mile delivery operations. These units have a cooling capacity down to -15 degrees C (+5 degrees F).
“We knew right away Lightning eMotors was the right partner to develop vehicles to help us meet our specific needs and support our larger payloads,” said Goodfood President and Chief Operating Officer, Neil Cuggy. “As market leaders in our respective industries, Goodfood and Lightning share a vision of challenging the status quo. This partnership allowed us to leap ahead in support of Canada’s shift to all zero-emissions electric vehicles by 2035. Our drivers have already told us that this fleet of delivery vans are great to drive and are meeting our customer needs. Based on this early feedback, we are looking forward to the possibility of expanding this fleet in the near future.”
Governments worldwide are looking to increase the number of low- and zero-emission vehicles on their roads. According to the IEA’s Global Electric Vehicle Outlook, the number of electric cars, buses, vans and heavy trucks worldwide is expected to hit 145 million by 2030. Lightning eMotors is uniquely positioned to lead the electrification of the full range of cargo and passenger vans, shuttle buses, school buses, city buses, work trucks and motor coaches.
“Electrifying transportation is important in efforts to reduce pollution and carbon emissions,” Reeser said. “We are proud of our partnerships and our team’s ability to deliver vocational vehicles to our customers along with the charging and service support necessary to make the transition to an electric fleet a cost-effective choice.”
