Workhorse Group has followed an early March reveal of its Classes 5-6 W56 electric vehicle with news this week that production began on its delayed smaller Class 4 W750 EV delivery van—which was supposed to go into production in the third quarter last year—at its manufacturing facility in Union City, Indiana.
The electric-vehicle OEM also said in a June 27 release that Smyrna Truck would become its first certified EV dealer in Georgia. Kingsburg Truck Center became Workhorse's first such certified dealer in California in March at the launch of its certified dealer program.
As part of the program, Workhorse Group has set up a comprehensive training program that provides dealers with hands-on and online training, including technical sales training, the company said. The certified EV dealer program is an initiative to develop a network of verified dealers that have passed the protocols necessary to safely repair and maintain the electric components of Workhorse vehicles specifically, according to Workhorse.
More 'milestones' for fits-and-starts company
The announcements continue a busy year for Workhorse Group and its lineup of EVs for last-mile delivery, cargo, shuttle, and transit.
The W750 can haul up to 5,000 lb., has an interior volume of 750 cubic feet, and has 150 miles of range on its 118-kilowatt battery. The truck takes about 11 hours to recharge on a Level 2 charger and three to four hours on a Level 3. The W750 is part of a lineup that includes the W56 step van, unveiled in early March at Work Truck Week, and the older Class 4 W4 CC, which is set up like a small box truck.
The company decided to discontinue its Class 3 C-1000 step van late last year to focus on the W750, W4 CC, and W56, and in the wake of resolution of a U.S. government investigation that started in late 2021. Workhorse and GreenPower had signed a cab and chassis deal for the W750 more than a year ago, in March 2022. The company showcased the W56 to members of Congress, policymakers, and other federal officials on the Capitol grounds during a June 7 event in Washington, D.C., hosted by Calstart. Workhorse also is developing package delivery drones.
"The milestones we are announcing today reflect the important progress we are making advancing our product roadmap and executing our strategic growth plans," Workhorse CEO Rick Dauch said in the release.
"We could not be more excited to see the W750 rolling out of our Union City facility, and we are poised to ramp up production of it in the coming months," he added. "In addition, we are thrilled to announce this dealer partnership with Smyrna Truck, expanding on our network for customers."
"We take pride in providing our customers the highest-quality truck equipment brands in the country, and we're excited to welcome Workhorse's innovative trucks to our list of trusted partners," Smyrna Truck President and CEO Scott Edens said. "Through the many conversations and demos we've had with the Workhorse team, we have been extremely impressed with the standard and quality of its vehicles, including the W4 CC and W750. This partnership represents a significant catalyst in our company's history, as we expand into the growing and important electric vehicle market."
Smyrna Truck is a subsidiary of Fouts Bros Inc. It operates a 700,000-square-foot facility in Milledgeville, Georgia, and a second one in La Grange, Texas.