VIA Motors Nabs EPA Certification For Chevrolet Express-Based eRev Van

In a statement released late last week, VIA Motors revealed that it has received official certification from the EPA for its Chevrolet Express-based eREV van (part of VIA’s VTRUX series). This is a big accomplishment for the young electric vehicle maker, which aims to offer the van to commercial buyers looking for a fuel efficient alternative to rivals such as the Ford Transit and Ram’s Fiat based ProMaster work van.

While its antiquated Chevrolet Express based styling and architecture may be seen by many as a pair of disadvantages when compared with rivals, the Utah based company makes up for it by equipping the van with its familiar V-Drive powertrain setup which allows their vehicle to have a 40 mile range on pure EV mode, as well as unlimited extended driving capability. These two factors are enough to allow the van to achieve over 100 miles per gallon in daily driving which is an impressive figure for a commercial oriented product. VIA CEO Pablo Acado was extremely pleased with the EPA’s decision stating “We see our eREV vehicles as an important part of the fleets of the future. This all-important EPA certification validates our concept of integrating VIA’s proprietary powertrain into OEM vehicles to deliver both economical and clean vehicle solutions”.

Meanwhile VIA Motors Chairman and former GM executive Bob Lutz issued a statement of his own praising VIA as well as its broader corporate mission stating “If we are going to see main stream adoption of electric vehicles, the technology must deliver a good return on investment to the largest segment of the auto business, namely trucks and vans. That’s why I am so confident in VIA and proudly serve as Chairman.” EPA certification means that VIA is now cleared to deliver its VIA eREV Vans to fleet customers across the United States.

A small number of these eREV vans have already been shipped to customers, but Acado also hinted at VIA making other bold moves in the future by claiming “This is just the beginning. We are very excited about many other major milestones on the horizon as we continue to fulfill the needs of our major fleet customers with VIA VTRUX vans and trucks.”