Electric Last Mile Solutions (ELMS), an electric vehicle startup focused on fleet markets, has announced it will bring a Class 3 commercial electric vehicle to the United States next year.
We first reported on ELMS back in 2020, when the company announced plans to launch an electric utility van in the U.S. in late 2021 called the ELMS Urban Delivery EV, which is based on an existing Class 1 commercial van from a Chinese company called Sokon. Now, the company has announced it will expand its fledgling lineup to include a Class 3 commercial heavy truck with a max payload of 5,700 pounds and a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of over 11,000 pounds.
This truck, dubbed the Urban Utility EV, would serve as an indirect rival to GM’s own Class 3 commercial trucks in the U.S., which include the Chevy LCF 3500, as well as Chevy Silverado 3500HD, GMC Sierra 3500HD and Chevy Express and GMC Savana 3500 Cutaway models. ELMS says it will be competitive with Class 3 ICE trucks from a price standpoint, although it did not say how much it plans to charge for the vehicle. The Chevy LCF, for reference, starts at around $50,000 depending on options and features.
“ELMS sees the introduction of the Urban Utility as an opportunity to greatly expand its target customer applications, including delivery, construction, landscaping, towing and refrigeration,” the company said in a statement. “As market demand for commercial EVs continue to increase due to rising emissions standards, legislative action and corporate ESG goals, the Urban Utility is an equally capable, emissions-free option compared to its ICE counterparts.”
Chevy LCF 3500
The ELMS Urban Utility EV will have an estimated range of around 125 miles, making it better suited to urban environments and fleet customers that may not travel far in a single day very often.
While GM does not have a Class 3 electric truck of its own, the BrightDrop EV600 utility van shows what a GM could offer in a similar electric fleet offering. The EV600 has a payload of 2,200 pounds and will be available in a GVWR of about 10,000 pounds. The EV600 will also be able to travel up to 250 miles on a full charge, GM estimates.
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Comments
A BEV conversion based on a Chinese copy of an Isuzu NPR/Chevy LCF. What could go wrong?
Do I hear another Nikola motors?
These would probably work for short distance delivery or local plumbers, electricians, etc. where this wouldn’t work is in this example, FEDEX trucks delivering to our area, south central TN come out of Madison, AL a suburb of Huntsville, AL about 70 miles away so the driver all ready has an hour and a half of driving before delivering the first package, we are about 63 miles from Nashville, and 62 miles from Chattanooga. EV trucks don’t have enough range to work as delivery trucks in rural areas, plus the heavier the load the less range you’ll have. All this hoopla about EVs is based on metropolitan areas, it’s a long way from working in rural areas.
EV trucks do not have the range, yet. I’m sure every major truck manufacturer has an EV in the planning stages. Would be crazy not to.
Batteries are too heavy. Especially in trucks, electricity is better produced on the fly from a fuel cell, with methanol or hydrogen.