Lightning Systems
Lightning Systems
Lightning Systems
Lightning Systems
Lightning Systems
Lightning Systems

Lightning Systems taking new electric Ford Transit on tour

April 6, 2018
Lightning Systems is taking its new Ford Transit LightningElectric model on the road, showcasing the vehicle's 61 MPGe in town and 66 MPGe on the highway.

Lightning Systems, a global developer of zero-emissions solutions for commercial fleets, is taking its new Ford Transit LightningElectric model on the road, showcasing the recently released vehicle efficiency ratings of 61 MPGe on in-town routes and 66 MPGe on highway.

Tours will start at Lightning Systems’ headquarters in Loveland CO. One will go westbound throughout California and the other will travel eastbound through Detroit to New York.

“The upcoming road show is a great chance for fleets to experience firsthand how quiet, smooth and powerful the new LightningElectric is,” said Tim Reeser, chief executive officer for Lightning Systems.

“It comes with all the benefits fleets expect from a Ford vehicle – interior comfort, warranty, and top-class fit and finish – with the added benefits of a zero-emissions electric vehicle like instant acceleration and lower maintenance costs.”

The westbound tour will end at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Long Beach CA, while the eastbound tour culminates at the 30th Annual Equipment & Vehicle Show in Queens NY. At the end of those tours, Lightning Systems will deliver the LightningElectric to Halo Event Group, a FedEx Ground contractor in New York City, and XPO Bus Sales in Los Angeles. 

The LightningElectric is a battery-electric drivetrain package for the heavy-duty Ford Transit, a product used extensively by commercial and government fleets. Lightning was one of the first to test under the newly released 2018 CARB efficiency and range validation test procedures for medium-duty vehicles, performed at the SGS Environmental Testing Center.

Results demonstrated that the Ford Transit 350HD equipped with the zero-emissions LightningElectric drivetrain achieved 61 MPGe (miles per gallon gasoline equivalent) on EPA city routes and 66 MPGe on EPA highway routes, compared to 13 and 15 MPG, respectively, for the identically configured gasoline Ford Transit 350HD.

“The LightningElectric is the full package,” Reeser said. “Engineering excellence combined with high-quality components validated by years of use in the industry, merged into a first-class, proven platform and supported by the Ford eQVM program and Ford dealer network for service and base-vehicle warranty. Add to this our industry-leading efficiency numbers, with the current government incentives landscape, and it is easy to see why we are already having to add to our production capacity.”

LightningElectric is available for the Ford Transit as part of Ford’s eQVM program. The product, which went on sale earlier this year, is available for heavy-duty Ford Transits with a 10,360-pound gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). Ford’s vehicle warranty covers the base chassis for vehicles with the Lightning drivetrain. Ford QVM dealers and upfitters perform installations and service.

Test drives will be offered at the following tour stops:

Eastbound Tour

·       Loveland, Colorado – April 3

·       Kansas City – April 11-13

·       Detroit – April 16-20

·       New York City – April 24-27

·       Queens, New York, Equipment & Vehicle Show – May 17

Westbound Tour

·       Sacramento – April 10-11

·       San Francisco – April 12-13

·       Fresno – April 16-17

·       Bakersfield – April 18

·       San Diego – April 23-25

·       Los Angeles – April 26-30

·       Long Beach, ACT Expo – May 1-3

The all-electric Lightning product features a state-of-the-art, liquid-cooled Lithium-Ion battery from a volume-ready world-class battery supplier that can be fast-charged in 30 minutes on DC fast charging and in six hours with Level 2 charging. Depending on battery option and drive cycle, LightningElectric has a payload capacity of up to 4,000 pounds.

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TBB Staff