While past experience doesn’t guarantee future success, it certainly does bode well if the objective is to build a company into a major OEM capable of competing with anything and everything out there. That is no small task when one considers the ever-growing list of EV players in the marketplace. However, VIA Motors is not new to the scene, nor is it unfamiliar with the OEM ecosystem. Founded in 2010, the company began its foray into the commercial EV space by converting General Motors (GM) vehicles into plug-in hybrids.
“General Motors vehicles were a logical choice because of the background of the founders and senior management,” says Frank Jenkins, senior director of sales and marketing for VIA Motors. “VIA’s chairman of the board, Robert Lutz and its chief executive officer and director, Robert Purcell among them.”
Lutz’s automotive career spans 57 years and includes his time as vice chairman of GM. He was one of the primary drivers behind the development of the Chevrolet Volt. Purcell’s 30-year automotive experience includes 25 years in hybrid and electrical drive systems at GM. He also led GM’s Advanced Technology Group for 10 years, including his oversight of the EV1, the world’s first modern electric car.
“Something I noticed immediately when I first came to VIA Motors was their understanding of what it takes to succeed in this very competitive space,” Jenkins says. “These are folks who have experience launching and nurturing products at the major OEM level, and they expect nothing less at VIA Motors.”
Jenkins points to the company taking the same developmental steps that would be familiar to anyone at a Big Three manufacturer. He says it is capital intensive, but it’s the only way to ensure that the vehicle is designed, built, sold, and supported in “the right way.”
FROM THE GROUND UP
“We’ve been observing the commercial EV marketplace for more than a decade and have been paying attention to its continuing trajectory,” VIA’s Purcell asserts. “The time came for us to move beyond hybrid conversions and to develop our own fully-electric platform. The VDrive is the culmination of our initial vision.”
VIA Motors’ VDrive chassis is a skateboard-based platform engineered to address the wide range of applications and duty cycles of commercial fleets with Class 2-5 vehicles. The company’s VTrux cab chassis cutaway will easily accommodate multiple body styles, including box trucks, service trucks, stake trucks, walk-in vans, school buses and shuttle buses, among many others. All-wheel drive and front-wheel drive versions are currently offered.
“We first envisioned and then developed the skateboard-based VDrive chassis from the ground up to offer fleets and bodybuilders a variety of practical advantages,” Purcell says. “Our industry-leading 21-inch low-floor design and ultra-tight turning radius make our VTrux easy to enter, to exit, and to maneuver—even in congested urban cores.”
Indeed, Purcell believes that VIA Motors can be a positive force for change in the evolution of cities. “We are dedicated to helping today’s fleets become the energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable fleets of tomorrow,” he says.
FLEXIBLE FOR ALL
In addition to providing an exceptionally low floor height, VIA’s skateboard architecture provides a flat floor from the cab through the rear of the vehicle—even in the all-wheel drive versions. The VDrive’s low profile also allows higher cargo density to be achieved because the lower the floor, the greater the cargo volume for a given wheelbase and roof height. The cab-forward driver position also frees up more space for cargo.
The flexible and scalable VDrive is available in 130-inch, 160-inch, and 190-inch wheelbases. Battery sizes range from 55 kWh, 82 kWh, 124 kWh, and 165 kWh. In short, the VDrive platform offers fleets and upfitters the ultimate in flexibility and is capable of accommodating a wide variety of vehicle top hats.
VIA’s platform design also has another critical feature that is vital, yet often absent from other skateboard chassis approaches. The VDrive has a rail system that matches industry standards, enabling upfitters to traditionally marry virtually any body to the platform. With VIA’s rail system, bodybuilders of all kinds will find the body-to-chassis interface both familiar and convenient.
MARKETPLACE BUY-IN
VIA Motors recently announced that it has received a purchase order for 2,000 Class 3 VIA electric cutaway chassis cabs from Pegasus Specialty Vehicles. The deal is valued at more than $170 million, with deliveries of the Class 3 cutaway chassis cabs to begin in 2024.
A Pegasus bus body on a VIA cutaway will feature all-wheel drive and will benefit from the platform’s low floor height and turning radius. Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the units will range from 12,500 to 14,000 lbs. The electric motors will generate up to 439 hp and will be able to transport a payload of up to 8,200 lbs within a range of 180 miles.
“The first time I drove the VTrux, I was very impressed with its turning radius and how nimble it was,” says Brian Barrington, president of Pegasus Specialty Vehicles. “It’s an extremely comfortable and well-designed vehicle. Our advanced bodies, coupled with these reliable, environmentally sustainable chassis will enable us to precisely right-size our vehicles for their specific applications.”
Pegasus Specialty Vehicles has an agreement in place with Creative Bus Sales to support the sale and servicing of their vehicles. VIA is also in ongoing discussions with other large commercial dealers and service providers that will deliver nationwide coverage for the brand. Based on its OEM experience, the company understands that sales, support, and parts availability must be in position even before the first vehicles begin rolling off the assembly line.
A TRANSFORMATIVE DEAL
On August 30, 2021, VIA Motors entered into a pending agreement with Ideanomics, a global company focused on driving the adoption of commercial electric vehicles and associated energy consumption.
Ideanomics is a global group with a simple mission: accelerating the commercial adoption of electric vehicles. By bringing together vehicles, charging, and financing solutions under one roof, Ideanomics is a one-stop partner needed to simplify the transition to and operation of any EV fleet.
“VIA Motors is changing last- and mid-mile delivery with innovative electric commercial vehicles that fleets can afford,” Purcell says. “Combining VIA with Ideanomics facilitates significant synergies, while Ideanomics’ financial and personnel resources provide the backing we need to pursue an array of exciting growth prospects we have identified.”
Ideanomics Mobility, Energy, and Capital divisions are service providers that facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles by commercial fleet operators through offering vehicle procurement, finance and leasing, and energy management solutions under its innovative sales to financing to charging (S2F2C) business model.
“With Ideanomics vertical, end-to-end approach, fleets can feel even more confident as they embrace the transition to electrification,” Purcell says. “Together, we will offer fleets a unique and robust one-stop-shopping opportunity that will add convenience and reduce complexity for everyone involved. Moving forward, we will be a force to be reckoned with in the commercial EV space.”
VIA Motors’VTrux Specifications
Class 2
- Payload: up to 4,860 lbs
- Wheelbase: 130, 160, 190 inches
- Range: up to 250 miles
- Models: chassis cab and cab cutaway
Class 3
- Payload: up to 6,900 lbs
- Wheelbase: 130, 160, 190 inches
- Range: up to 240 miles
- Models: chassis cab and cab cutaway
Class 4/5
- Payload: up to 11,780 lbs
- Wheelbase: 160 and 190 inches
- Range: up to 200 miles
Models: chassis cab and step van
Skateboard Platform
- Class: Classes 2 to 5
- Payload: up to 11,780 lbs
- Wheelbase: 130 to 190 inches
- Range: up to 250 miles
*Note: Some specifications are model dependent
For more Information
Find out more about VIA Motors and its Class 2-5 VDrive platform and VTrux cutaway offerings, visit www.viamotors.com.
