Commercial electric drivetrain maker Lightning Systems is offering battery electric options for Ford's E-450 Shuttle Bus and Cutaway. The electric conversion will be available for E-450s with a 14,500-lb. gross vehicle weight rating and will have a range of up to 110 miles, depending on route and driver.
The new product comes after Lightning just announced a battery-electric drivetrain for Class 6 trucks that was shown integrated into a Chevrolet 6500XD Low Cab Forward truck. The company also expanded its electric drivetrain options for Ford Transit vans earlier this year with a longer-range version powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.
"We've become the only stop you have to make to get zero-emission vehicles for all of your fleet needs," said Tim Reeser, CEO of Lightning Systems. The company now has electric kits "for commercial and government fleets in the medium-duty and heavy-duty segments, from the Ford Transit all the way to our all-electric repower product for transit buses," he added.
Lightning's electric motor for the Ford E-450 has peak power of 220 kW—the equivalent of 295 hp.—and torque rated at 700 Nm, or 516 lbs.-ft. The electric kit is available for new E-450s or to repower existing vehicles.
It includes a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery system that can be fully charged in two hours with DC fast-charging, Lightning says. Regenerative braking helps recharge batteries and adds range while reducing wear and tear on the friction brakes.
The company warrantees the electric powertrain for five-years or 60,000 miles. Lightning says it is now accepting orders for the kit and expects to begin delivering them by the end of the year.
