Lightning eMotors Sees Acceleration of Electrified Vehicle Deployment with California Transit Agencies

Five California public transit agencies deploy Lightning eMotors’ zero-emission Class 3 transit vans and Class 4 medium-duty shuttle buses acquired through the CalACT/MBTA Vehicle Purchasing Cooperative

LOVELAND, Colo. – Lightning eMotors (NYSE: ZEV), a leading provider of all-electric powertrains and medium-duty and specialty commercial electric fleet vehicles, announced today an increase in orders, and reorders from the CalACT Vehicle Purchasing Cooperative managed by Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA). The increase in orders are from public agencies who are members of the California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CalACT).

The CalACT contract is a purchasing instrument that simplifies and expedites procurement for CalACT members. To be considered for inclusion on the contract, Lightning went through a rigorous qualification process including an MBTA site visit and audit by its consultants, as well as CalACT transit agency visits to the facility to review the manufacturing process.

“We have seen a surge in demand and interest for our electric commercial vehicles in California from municipalities that are part of CalACT and we anticipate that those numbers will grow dramatically in the coming years,” said Tim Reeser, CEO of Lightning eMotors. “In the past six months, we have received orders for both our ADA-compliant 350HD transit van and E-450 shuttle bus from five California cities, with additional vehicles in the pipeline.”

The nearly 200 municipalities that are part of CalACT and eligible to purchase off of the contract, on average, purchase 800 vehicles per year. As one of a select few approved electric commercial vehicle manufacturers, and the first to deliver such vehicles under the contract, Lightning is in a prime position to be the vendor of choice as California cities, counties and transit agencies strive to meet the state’s carbon neutrality mandate. Under the Innovative Clean Transit regulation adopted in 2018, 100% of new medium- and heavy-duty truck and bus purchases must be all-electric by 2029, with a goal for full transition by 2040.

Lightning eMotors’ Class 3 350HD transit van and Class 4 E-450 shuttle bus are available through California-based CalACT-authorized partners A – Z Bus Sales and Creative Bus Sales, and Las Vegas-based RO Bus Sales. The all-electric E-450 shuttle bus has a capacity of up to 24 passengers and range of over 120 miles while Lightning’s electric 350HD transit van seats 15 with a dynamometer confirmed range of more than 120 miles.

According to the American Lung Association’s 2021 “State of the Air” report, eight California cities appear on all three lists of most polluted cities in the United States for unhealthy ozone days, unhealthy spikes in particle pollution, and for annual particle pollution levels. Electrifying commercial passenger and last/middle mile cargo transportation vehicles will play a key role in improving overall air quality by reducing carbon emissions, particularly in densely populated urban areas. In fact, recent estimates from the Alternative Fuels Data Center have shown that depending on the source of electricity, annual emissions per vehicle for all-electric vehicles can lead to a 67% decrease in CO2 emissions nationally.

Lightning eMotors has delivered eight of 11 vehicles initially ordered and expects to deliver the remaining three before the end of the year. An additional five orders from more new agencies are also on track to close in the coming month.

“More than four in 10 Americans live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution which continues to amplify Covid-19 cases,” Reeser said. “Zero Emission vehicles like those built by Lightning eMotors are already having a positive impact on California communities from Oakland to Santa Barbara and these orders are just the tip of the iceberg.”

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