Lightning Systems has revealed that Fluid Truck, a national truck rental platform, will incorporate 600 Lightning Electric vehicles onto its platform, with availability starting in Q4 of this year.
Users in major cities across the U.S. can access vehicles 24/7, 365 days a year through both the Fluid Truck website and mobile application.
"We are excited to work with Lightning Systems," said James Eberhard, CEO and founder of Fluid Truck. "We have been impressed with Lighting Systems' capabilities and innovation in the EV space. We believe that electric vehicles will be a great solution for businesses to get the job done sustainably."
Fluid Truck's 600 vehicle order calls for an assortment of Lightning Electric Ford Transit 350HD delivery vans, Lightning Electric Ford E-450 Class 4 trucks, and Lightning Electric Hino 268 Class 6 trucks. The all-electric, zero-emission vehicles will be deployed in major urban areas across the U.S.
"We are thrilled about this partnership, because it provides a footprint for our commercial electric vehicles that will be available to vehicle operators on-demand, across the U.S.," said Tim Reeser, CEO of Lightning Systems. "This is an exciting opportunity for both companies due to the rising demand for electric vehicles from commercial customers who have sustainability requirements for their fleets."
In addition to the vehicles available through Fluid's rental platform, Lightning Systems is working with Fluid to facilitate trial use and demonstrations with 100 of their own all-electric vehicles in several major U.S. cities. "These vehicles will be a terrific way for users to experience our wide array of vehicles for short-term demonstrations and trial periods," Reeser said.
"Cities also are beginning to designate 'zero-emission zones,' such as those in London and Santa Monica," Reeser added. "We see that trend continuing, which will further increase the demand for commercial EVs, including rental vehicles, in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago."
Early in his term in 2019, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order to support the state's transition to zero-emission vehicles.
"Colorado's small businesses rely on the safe and efficient transportation of their goods and services; this partnership unlocks an environmentally friendly transportation option that's good for businesses and Colorado's environment," said Betsy Markey, executive director, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. "It's especially heartening to see two Colorado companies pioneering a thoughtful and innovative transportation solution."
