Terminal tractor maker Orange EV celebrates longevity in zero emissions

Terminal tractor maker Orange EV is marking its 10th anniversary in the electric-vehicle industry by celebrating its status as manufacturer of the most EVs in operation in the U.S., according to a recent research report by CALSTART, a nonprofit clean transportation consortium.

Chosen by more than 100 fleets in 24 states, Orange EV has deployed over 370 electric trucks, according to a Feb. 16 release from the EV maker.

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“From the beginning, Orange EV committed to working closely with every customer to not only deliver a complete truck, service, and charging solution, but also to incorporate feedback to continually improve truck performance and uptime,” said Kurt Neutgens, Orange EV’s co-founder, president, and chief technology officer. “As a result, uptime for our latest Orange EV yard trucks averages 98% to 99%, compared to legacy diesel uptime in the 75% to 80% range reported by our customers.”

Orange EV said its turnkey solution, with purpose-built chargers and trucks, is matched to align with their customers’ duty cycles to maximize financial and operational benefits. “This complete offering not only simplifies deployments and avoids many of the infrastructure and supply chain challenges that other EV manufacturers have faced, but it also streamlines problem-solving,” according to the Orange EV release. “If issues arise, the fleet makes just one call to Orange EV, which has designed, produced, and supports the entire system.

According to the Dec. 23 release of “Charging Forward: BEV & FCEV Forecast and Analysis, 2nd Edition," by ACT Research, battery-electric yard trucks in 2021 provided a better total cost of ownership (TCO) than their diesel-powered counterparts. By 2024, adoption rates for battery-electric “yard spotters” could exceed 50%. The duty cycles of yard trucks favor battery-electric propulsion, according to Orange EV, and as a result they will be one of the first vehicle types to electrify at very high percentages.

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“Customer data from hundreds of deployments has proven that fleets are saving money with safer, more reliable, emission-free trucks, even without incentives,” said Zack Ruderman, Orange EV’s VP of sales and marketing. “While early customers leveraged grants for initial purchases, over half of 2021 sales did not. Orange EV has already been able to deliver lower total cost of ownership, while many other EV types and manufacturers are still working to get there.”

Orange EV’s deployed fleet of electric trucks has surpassed 4.4 million miles and 1.3 million hours of commercial operation. To keep up with demand, Orange EV continues to expand its production capacity, according to the company’s Feb. 16 release.

The same report by ACT Research found that half of Classes 4 through 8 trucks sales will be battery-electric vehicles by 2035 in the U.S. and Canada.