Lightning Systems, a developer and manufacturer of zero-emission commercial electric vehicles, announced the launch of Lightning Energy. Lightning Energy is a division of the Colorado-based company that offers charging technologies and services to commercial and government fleets.
The division designs, installs, services, and manages charging solutions, providing fleets with options to support electrification and achieve sustainability goals. Part of Lightning Systems, Lightning Energy offers a range of charging options and/or full charging as a service (CaaS). CaaS will include infrastructure installation, permitting, utilities liaison, maintenance, and ongoing management software. It will also include regulatory credit monetization to operate small, medium, or large fleets of electric vehicles.
“With 12 years of deep experience working with fleets, our team’s understanding of the specific charging needs of fleets of all sizes is extensive,” says Tim Reeser, CEO, Lightning Systems. “We now offer a full array of vehicles and charging solutions as a one-stop shop for all of a fleet’s commercial EV needs.”
Reeser says fleets are often excited to deploy EVs but wait late in the process to determine charging methods. “Many fleets that plan to purchase vehicles don’t have the charging infrastructure in place to use them,” Reeser adds. “The simple fact is that getting charging right is hard, complicated work, and it can take longer to install than most realize. Get it wrong and you face either fleet downtime due to insufficient charge, or you spend too much money on stuff you don’t need.”
SIMPLIFYING ELECTRIFICATION
Lightning Energy provides a consolidated solution for all fleet-related charging needs, taking the burden off the fleet by handling the entire deployment process and ongoing management, says Brandon McNeil, executive director, operations, Lightning Systems. “Outsourcing a fleet’s charging infrastructure reduces their exposure to risk and significantly simplifies EV deployment,” McNeil says.
“Our goal was to simplify fleet electrification as much as possible,” McNeil says.
McNeil says Lighting Systems’ powertrains for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles combined with Lightning Energy’s charging gives fleets an EV solution. Lightning Systems’ financing and leasing options give fleets a true EV as a service offering that streamlines business, he adds.
Lightning’s lineup of new chargers includes both AC and DC fast charge options. These options range from affordable 7.2kW AC chargers to high-output 150kW DC fast chargers. DC fast chargers deliver much shorter charging times for high-battery-capacity commercial EVs.
Lightning also recently introduced a mobile DC fast charger for electric vehicles. The charging system features 184 kWh of high-energy-density, liquid-cooled DC battery storage. Lightning Systems designed Lightning Mobile in a package that’s easily installed in a vehicle or trailer for mobile deployment. Because of this, Lightning Mobile can rapidly deploy to provide fast roadside charging. The mobile charger also offers the capability to recharge EVs on their routes, which allows fleets to maximize vehicle uptime.
“If you have sustainability as a goal and want to move to an electric fleet, you have to consider your charging options,” Reeser says. “Not only can Lightning remove the headache, but we can do it very cost-effectively because we know the vehicles and the fleet needs intimately, and are able to aggregate utility and regulatory credits.”
Find out more, visit www.lightningenergy.biz and www.lightningsystems.com.
