Bay Area Tech companies take advantage of Lightning eMotors repowered shuttle vehicles

All-electric powertrains provider Lightning eMotors is giving gasoline and diesel vehicles a second, zero-emissions life by repowering a variety of passenger transit vehicles for shuttle service providers to some of the leading tech companies located throughout Silicon Valley.

The all-electric vehicles include Class 3 passenger vans and Class 7 motorcoaches, all of which are either in service already or soon to be in service with several of the largest tech companies in the world and largest employers in the Bay Area, the manufacturer points out. In the past we have already been covering the topic of electric commuter shuttles in the Silicon Valley.

Lightning eMotors has signed a partnership with Proterra to power Class 4 and Class 5 electric commercial vehicles using Proterra battery technology. In late 2021 Lightning eMotors and ABC Companies have been commissioned a double decker electric motor coach by All Aboard America! Holdings. Also, school bus manufacturer Collins Bus (subsidiary of REV Group, Inc.) has reached an agreement with Lightning eMotors. The strategic partnership has the goal of manufacturing and deploying zero-emission, all-electric Type A school buses.

Lightning repowered buses for Silicon Valley employees

As the Bay Area’s top employers continue to reduce or eliminate remote or hybrid work options following the COVID-19 pandemic, and as fuel prices continue to surge, Lightning’s repowered vehicles are being used to provide zero-emission intra-campus and Park and Ride transportation for thousands of employees in the region.

The repowered vehicles are also equipped with Lightning’s integrated telematics system, which allows up to 100 parameters of vehicle performance to be tracked in near-real-time to optimize route planning, increase cost-savings and assist with day-to-day operations. The analytics can also be used to inform monthly Environmental, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) reports that can help employers utilizing the repowered vehicles stay on track of their sustainability goals.

Lightning’s repowered vehicle orders were facilitated by ABC Companies, a leading product and service provider to the transportation industry. ABC partnered with Lightning eMotors after conducting a global search for a powertrain provider with the scope, scale, experience, and expertise to provide new and repowered zero-emission vehicles as well as charging solutions for large corporate and municipal customers.

Repowered vehicles for companies’ shuttle services

“We are encouraged by an acceleration in the adoption of repowered vehicles, not only by these Bay Area powerhouses, but by private and public sector businesses and universities across the country,” said Lightning eMotors CEO Tim Reeser. “Industries are realizing that repowering existing vehicles with our electric drive system is a highly cost-effective way to lower emissions. And though some companies are looking at converting electric cargo vans to passenger vans, they don’t provide the range, payload capacity or safety features of a Lightning repowered Transit.”

“We’re seeing a significant uptick in interest in these vehicles as the world comes back from COVID, and return-to-work life is accelerating,” ABC Companies president and CCO Roman Cornell said. “Our previous work with Lightning eMotors provides insight that these repowered vehicles will not only surpass customer expectations, but also have the capability to spark a trend in and beyond the Bay Area as companies across the nation continue to seek out new sustainable solutions.”

“Repowering commercial vehicles from gas or diesel to all-electric is a great option during these times of rapidly rising new vehicle prices resulting from supply chain constraints,” said Kash Sethi, chief revenue officer for Lightning. “Lightning is one of the only companies today that has the capability to repower older vehicles, electrify new vehicles, and simultaneously develop our own eChassis for release in 2023. This kind of innovation and flexibility is what makes Lightning an undisputed leader in this fast-growing market.”