Emissions & Efficiency

Isuzu unveils first electric truck

March 8, 2023

New N-Series 19,500-lb. model year 2025 Class 5 EV will feature a brand-new cab design and platform developed by the OEM. It will be available in the first half of 2024.

Scott Achelpohl

INDIANAPOLIS—Isuzu Commercial Truck of America announced two firsts on March 8 at Work Truck Week 2023: its first all-electric model, the N-Series electric Class 5 truck, as well as new cab design for the EV, which will be made available for existing Isuzu models.

The model-year Class 5—featuring a 19,500-lb. gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and a battery-electric platform developed by Isuzu Motors Limited—will be available in the first half of 2024, company officials said during the media event. The OEM also revealed gasoline engines for its N-Series.

Isuzu’s first N-Series EV starred at the event's morning press conference, joined by EV announcements from Mack, startup Workhorse, and others.

“The N-Series EV is a game-changer, not only for us, but for our dealers and our customers,” said Shaun Skinner, who is president of both Isuzu Commercial Truck of America and Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada. “We have always prided ourselves on offering a variety of powertrains to meet the needs of our owners. As we look at the regulatory landscape ahead of us, we know that the demand for a medium-duty truck powered by electricity is going to increase dramatically. And we will be ready, with the first electric production Class 5 low cab forward truck in the U.S. and Canadian marketplace.”

Attendees at Work Truck Week in Indianapolis check out the new Isuzu N-Series electric Class 5 shortly after the company unveiled it at a March 8 event for media.

The N-Series EV also will be available in Japan, where it was announced earlier the same day, marking the first time that a new Isuzu model has been introduced simultaneously in three markets: Japan, the United States, and Canada, company officials said.

The new Isuzu EV features:

Wheelbases ranging from 132.5 to 176 inches to accommodate a variety of body lengths.
Four choices of battery capacity, the largest of which has a range of up to 235 miles.
DC Fast Charging and AC (Level 2) charging capability.
An optional Advanced Driver Assistance System package designed to improve driver, passenger and pedestrian safety and to help reduce the number and severity of collisions.

Every N-Series EV will be powered by a number of 20-kilowatt-hour, lithium-ion battery packs. Customers will be able to choose from three-, five-, seven-, and nine-battery-pack models. By offering four configurations, Isuzu will allow buyers to choose the combination that’s best for their business, company officials said.

The interior of the new Isuzu N-Series electric Class 5 that features driver and outboard frontal passenger airbags, a new steering wheel position and angle, and a 7-inch color multi-information display, which will be standard equipment on every N-Series EV.

All N-Series EV models will be equipped with charging ports that accommodate the most popular charging connectors in the U.S. and Canada, DC fast charging (CCS1) and AC charging (J1772). To accommodate their multiple battery packs and to provide reasonable charging times, N-Series EV trucks, with battery capacities of 60-, 100-, 140-, and 180-kilowatt hours, will have an AC Level 2 charging time range from 5.5 to 10 hours and a DC fast charging time range from 1 to 2.5 hours. Depending upon the number of battery packs, N-Series EV trucks will have driving ranges from 41 to 235 miles.

About the Author

Scott Achelpohl | Managing Editor

I'm back to the trucking and transportation track of my career after some time away freelancing and working to cover the branches of the U.S. military, specifically the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guard. I'm a graduate of the University of Kansas and the William Allen White School of Journalism there with several years of experience inside and outside business-to-business journalism. I'm a wordsmith by nature, and I edit FleetOwner magazine and our website as well as report and write all kinds of news that affects trucking and transportation.