Lightning eMotors launches online fleet planner, configuration tool

Lightning eMotors, the maker of zero-emission medium-duty commercial vehicles and electric vehicle technology for fleets, said Jan. 4 that it was releasing a new online Fleet Planner, a free configuration tool that allows fleet managers to input their individual fleet characteristics and receive a customized operating cost analysis and carbon reduction metrics based on the recommended Lightning electric vehicle (EV) that best fits their needs.

“One of the challenges facing fleets seeking to electrify is a lack of reliable information about how commercial EVs will perform under various conditions, and how big an impact they will have on key metrics such as operating cost and carbon reduction,” Nick Bettis, VP of marketing and sales operations at Lightning eMotors, said in a release emailed by the company.

See also: Lightning eMotors launches telematics system upgrade

He added: “Our virtual Fleet Planner takes the guesswork out of vehicle selection and provides personalized and understandable EV information based on the fleet’s unique needs. We believe the ability to compare operating costs with equivalent ICE vehicles will be an eye-opening look into the benefits of an EV fleet.”

At a special event at CES 2023 in Las Vegas on Jan. 4, Lightning eMotors announced the new Fleet Planner tool.

Within the Fleet Planner, users first select the type of fleet they manage (passenger, cargo, school bus, or ambulance). They input a variety of information that is important to effective fleet management, including route distance, payload or number of passengers, terrain type (e.g., flat or hilly), average temperature, drive cycle and driver behavior, shift duration, charging opportunity time and dwell time. This is a free tool that allows fleet and sustainability managers to configure their EV fleets and fully understand the cost savings and positive environmental impact of going zero emissions, according to Lightning eMotors.

Using the information provided and more than five years of real-world data collected by Lightning’s industry-leading telematics system, Lightning Insights, the Fleet Planner displays recommended Lightning vehicles and the associated charge rates needed to fit the specific application.

See also: EVs are a perfect fit for commercial vans

Fleet managers can then select their desired vehicle to see how a Lightning EV compares to an equivalent ICE vehicle in efficiency, total cost of ownership, as well as how much CO2 could be mitigated from the atmosphere with an electrified fleet.

Lightning eMotors has been providing specialized fleet solutions since 2009, deploying zero-emission-vehicle solutions for commercial fleets since 2018, including Class 3 cargo and passenger vans, ambulances, Class 4 and 5 cargo vans and shuttle buses, Class 4 Type A school buses, Class 6 work trucks, Class 7 city buses, and motor coaches.