Fleets and businesses shopping for electric commercial trucks now have an increasing menu of vehicle options to choose from

Businesses in Canada waiting for commercial electric trucks to hit the market are about to be rewarded for their patience.

In recent weeks, three manufacturers have announced they are bringing a total of seven new models of electric trucks to market in Canada: the Lion8 Tractor, the VMC 1200 Class 3 and the ZM Trucks Class 4, 5, 6 and “baby8.”

It’s a spring rush that will likely delight the tight commercial truck market, which has been slow to transition due to high upfront costs and low inventory.

But, now, with more options on the menu, plus a federal medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MDHV) rebate and two provincial MHDV rebates, the adoption curve could be poised to sharpen in the back half of 2024.

Lion8 Tractor

Savvy EV market watchers will recall that in 2019 Quebec-based Lion Electric released the Lion8 electric truck.

This week at the ACT Expo, it unveiled the bigger sister to the original Class 8 vehicle: the Lion8 Tractor.

The Lion8 Tractor — or, the Lion8 T, for short — is capable of hauling 127,000 lb (57,600 kg), a significant increase over the Lion8’s 60,000 lb capabilities. It has a 630 kWh battery and offers up to 440 kilometres of range, which is also a marked rise from the Lion8.

Finally, Lion’s own heavy-duty battery pack, produced at the Battery Campus in Mirabel, Que. will power the Lion8 T model.

A series of delays impacted Lion’s original projections for the Lion8 T’s availability in Canada, but the automaker confirms the vehicle will be available for delivery by mid-2024.

VMC 1200 Class 3

There are a few VMC 1200 Class 3s on Canadian roads already, but the big news from Vancouver-based Vicinity Motors is that it is increasing availability of its vehicles.

Since the start of 2024, Vicinity has secured five new VMC 1200 distribution agreements in four provinces (Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec) and is now opening up its electric truck order book to American buyers. That expanding pipeline is good news for would-be buyers and Vicinity itself, which delivered 44 VMC 1200 trucks in Q1.

ZM Trucks

There is a new entrant into the North American electric truck market. ZO Motors is bringing its five classes — Class 4, 5, 6 and “baby 8” — of ZM Trucks to Canada.

The Japanese headquartered automaker revealed its intentions to begin selling its vehicles (which will be assembled in North America) last week. The models break down as follows:

• The ZM4 is a Class 4, 5,730 lb battery electric van. It has a 132 kWh battery offering a range of 242 kilometres.
• The ZM8 is a Class 6 battery electric vehicle (BEV) and has sold more than 6,000 units in Asia since early 2022. It has a range of 260 km and can haul a payload up to 12,900 lbs.
• The ZM22 is a Class 8 BEV with a 264 kWh battery providing 260 km of range. It can carry a payload up to 34,060 lbs.
• ZM Trucks is also offering two fuel cell variants of the ZM8 and the ZM22. The ZM8 offers a range of up to 300 km, payload capabilities up to 13,560 lbs and 110 kW power from its fuel cell motor. The ZM22 has a range of 500 km and a payload of up to 34,720 lbs

Earlier this month, ZM Trucks announced a memorandum of understanding with ITD Industries in Ontario to distribute its electric trucks in Canada.

It did not announce which of the ZM Truck models will be available through ITD at what price or on what timeline.