With Blue Arc EVs, Shyft raises its profile again at work truck show

INDIANAPOLIS—The Shyft Group continued its campaign to raise its profile here at Work Truck Week 2023 beyond its truck-body and upfit brands with the debut of a Class 5 version of its Blue Arc electric crew cab—almost a year after the unveiling of the nameplate’s Class 3 delivery EV.

While the Class 3 van—production of which is expected to begin the second half of this year—was being put through its paces by conference attendees outside in the show’s ride-and-drive area, the Class 5 was making an appearance at Shyft’s booth inside with an unconventional aluminum dump configuration for landscaping provided by one of the company’s work-truck upfit brands, DuraMag. The company also owns Utilimaster, Royal Truck Body, Magnum, Strobes-R-Us, Spartan RV Chassis, Red Diamond Aftermarket Solutions, and Builtmore Contract Manufacturing.

See also: More NTEA Work Truck Week coverage from Indy

Blue Arc announced another milestone during Work Truck Week: It had completed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency testing and had received EPA certification for its Classes 3-5 electric delivery vehicles. According to a release from Shyft Group, EPA test results showed the Blue Arc Class 3 can reach a 200-mile range with a 165-kilowatt-hour battery pack, providing customers with a driving range that can handle and, in many cases, exceed a daily last-mile delivery route.

“Certification from the EPA represents an important milestone that helps clear the way for Shyft’s Blue Arc vehicles to start production and be sold across the U.S.,” according to the release.

Shyft also expects final approval from the California Air Resources Board, the Golden State's equivalent of the EPA. The company recently announced a $16 million investment at its Charlotte, Michigan, campus to begin assembly of the electric vehicles in the second half of 2023. Randy Marion Dealer Group placed an initial pre-order for 2,000 of the EVs.

“With a range of 200 miles, this changes the game and opens up new possibilities for electrifying last-mile delivery,” CEO Daryl Adams added. “Our approach has been to focus on the engineering and product development of Blue Arc EVs, making sure we get that right first and foremost. When we get that right, and I believe we have, our customers are taking notice and we expect to secure additional production contracts in the near future.”

In addition to the range, the Blue Arc Class 3 van received a 45 MPGe combined city/highway rating from EPA.

While the prototype was the highlight of The Shyft Group exhibit a year ago, Blue Arc’s Eric Fisher, VP and general manager of Blue Arc EV Solutions, told FleetOwner that the design now is “frozen,” meaning ready for production.

“It’s all about continuous improvement, so we learn as we go,  and we're pretty fast and nimble,” Fisher said, and he noted the smile from CEO Adams, who was standing beside him during the booth chat. “We’ve made a lot of improvements since we did the first POC [proof of concept] to where we are today. That's really just the team's being very vigilant looking for opportunities to lose weight, lose cost, and also looking at manufacturing, serviceability, assembly—you’ve got to look at that whole ecosystem and what makes sense for us and our customers.”

The Class 3 delivery van has commercial-grade e-axles, Level 2 and DC fast charging and lane-keeping assist, active emergency braking, and a 360-degree camera. The cargo area of the Class 3 features 635 to 800 cubic feet of storage and offers a choice of vocational packages. The aluminum and composite body design provides higher durability against scratches and dents. The vehicle ranges from 14 to 18 feet long and has a payload capacity of up to 5,000 lb.

Class 5 crew cab

The Class 5 combines an EV chassis with a lightweight aluminum truck body and a crew cab design built for construction, trades, municipalities, landscaping, and even snow removal and has a 6,000- to 10,000-lb. payload capacity. The EV features of the Class 5 include modular, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery packs with 158 to 316-kilowatt hours of capacity, Level 2 and DC fast charging of 800-volt system, commercial-grade 4,000-cycle cells, a 450Wh solar option, and two- to six-hour accelerated charge time.

"The new Blue Arc Class 5 electric crew cab is truly in a class of its own," Adams said at Work Truck Week. "Never before have you seen a cab like this on a work truck. The cab can take on a crew. They can stand up, they can walk in it, they can stand tall. It allows for a variety of bodies,  from a stake truck to a box truck to a dump truck. When it comes to a greener, cleaner future, we know you're in it for the long haul."

In discussing the Class 5 crew cab with FleetOwner, Adams emphasized the "competitive pricing advantage" of being able to pair Shyft's in-house range of truck equipment with the Blue Arc chassis. He also stated that, at least initially, the Class 5 chassis will go to Shyft brands exclusively for upfit.

"That's the beauty of it," Adams said.

Editorial Director Kevin Jones contributed to this story.