Orange EV, an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer for heavy duty zero-emission trucks, has delivered its 500th electric yard truck.
The truck was purchased by United Natural Foods (UNFI), a wholesale distributor of health and specialty food in the United States and Canada. The company is adding eight Orange EV trucks to its fleet within the next month. With these additions, UNFI will have 10 Orange EV trucks operating in its U.S. fleet.
“Since the first Orange EV trucks were placed in service we have been very happy with the performance, reliability, ROI, and environmental impact they are making,” says Jeff Wismans, national director of fleet operations at UNFI. “It made it an easy decision to add eight more.”
Orange EV yard trucks are now moving goods in 30 states and being operated by more than 140 fleets.
“Orange EV’s launch in 2012 with just $50,000 in our coffers was met with a healthy dose of skepticism, but we were determined to prove that zero emission yard trucks are the real deal,” comments Wayne Mathisen, Orange EV’s co-founder and CEO. “With this historic milestone, Orange EV has accomplished the seemingly impossible feat of generating excitement about EV trucks within the commercial trucking space, and we did it by manufacturing trucks that are superior operationally, financially, and environmentally. Our trucks are safer, more reliable, save our customers money vs. diesel, and are preferred by drivers and management alike.”
“The unsung heroes of supply chain and logistics, yard trucks are typically used to move trailers and containers in distribution centers, rail intermodals, ports, and a range of other facilities where uninterrupted movement is mission critical,” adds Kurt Neutgens, Orange EV’s co-founder and CTO. “Orange EV zero-emission trucks do the same work as their diesel-powered counterparts while eliminating the diesel fuel and emissions that are endangering people’s health and our climate. Orange EV was the first in this space and will continue to lead the industry with more innovative offerings that build on the success of our current line of EV yard trucks.”
