Electric Vehicles International (EVI) is seeking bids for motors, controllers, charging systems, electrical vehicle supply equipment, and die casting and metal fabrication services as it ramps up production of all-battery trucks in Stockton, Calif. EVI is taking bids until March 22, 2013. Business is being stimulated by aggressive government incentives in California, New York and Chicago, the company says. Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. has been working directly with EVI as its drivetrain supplier ever since the demise of Enova Systems. Freightliner and EVI are working together to target EV-compatible fleets. FCCC will be displaying an EVI battery walk-in van at the Work Truck Show in Indianapolis next week.
Last year, EVI partnered with Frito-Lay North American for an EV pilot project. The trucks driven in the test programs were built on Freightliner M2 business class chassis. The EVI-MD is a versatile and flexible class 6 electric vehicle, boasting a 90-mile range, top speed of 65 miles per hour and a 99 kWh lithium phosphate battery system from Valence Technology (VLNC).
