Canada-based Vicinity Motor Corp. (formerly Grande West Transportation Group), a supplier of electric, CNG, gasoline and diesel vehicles, released specifications for the new VMC 1200, a fully electric Class 3 medium-duty commercial truck. Powered by a 150 kWh Li-Ion battery pack an electrical powertrain that provides up to 150 kW of power and 800 lb-ft of torque (1,085 N·m), the VMC 1200 has a 6,000-pound load capacity and an expected range up to 150 miles on a single charge.

The medium duty electric truck leverages Vicinity’s EV experience in a popular cab-over design, making it well-suited for urban environments and construction or delivery applications.

Standard features include driver conveniences including a high-back comfort seat, keyless entry, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, 3-person seating and the ability to use the battery for on-site power, eliminating the need to transport large, noisy generators.

The vehicle is capable of fully charging from a level 3 EV fast charger in 2.5 hours and from a standard level 2 charger in as little as 5 hours.

Production of the vehicles is underway and commercial deliveries are scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2022. Our sales team is already introducing the demonstration VMC 1200 model to our dealer network and are very pleased to see very strong interest in it.

Due to expected heavy order flow for the VMC 1200, we have planned production levels of up to 1,000 units in 2022. We look forward to building a strong source of supplemental growth through this zero-emission line of medium duty trucks to complement our full line of Vicinity Lightning and Classic buses.

—William Trainer, Founder and CEO of Vicinity Motor

Earlier this month, VMC announced it will use drivetrain systems from Danfoss Editron in the medium-duty fully electric Vicinity Lightning EV Bus.

Danfoss Editron specializes in hybrid and electric drivetrain systems for the marine, off-highway and on-highway markets. A business division of Danfoss, it develops and manufactures high-performance power systems for heavy-duty vehicles, machines, and marine vessels based on its synchronous reluctance assisted permanent magnet and inverter propulsion system technology.

The systems feature a Buy America Compliant 220 kW motor with an Eaton multi-speed transmission. They are also fitted with a digital AVIONICS controller and inverter to enable the intelligent management of all the vehicle's operations.

Weighing only 85kg, Danfoss Editron’s drivetrain systems are significantly lighter in weight than other electric drivetrains on the market, which can weigh as much as 500kg.