SEA Electric scores its biggest e-truck deal to date
SEA Electric, originally from Australia and now also with a base in Los Angeles, has booked the largest order in the company’s history in the US. GATR EV, a division of GATR Truck Centers, has ordered 1,150 electric trucks from SEA Electric.
Based on the Toyota Hino model and equipped with SEA’s electric drive system, the first 40 units are set for delivery this year. The remaining 1,110 electric trucks are to arrive at GATR EV, which operates in Iowa and Minnesota, throughout 2022.
For SEA, it is the largest order in its history, and the company suggests it came on the heels of a recent truck expo in California but more so points to a change in the market.
“This is our first four-digit order, and it comes in a non-incentive state, which proves that commercial EV solutions can expand in areas with no incentives, while all corners of the market are seeking premium EV solutions,” said Nick Casas, SEA Electric Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
GATR EV too considers the partnership as crucial. Through the GATR Truck Center, which features five dealerships throughout Iowa and Minnesota, the company is currently developing an e-commerce system to sell purely electric vehicles. There is also a partnership with Merchants Fleet, a management company working toward having 50% of its fleet electric by 2025 and 50% of its clients’ fleet by 2030. The company in February also placed an order with GM to deliver over 12,000 BrightDrop vans though not before 2023.
As for SEA Electric and GATR EV, the cooperation has potential. “Because of this strategic partnership, we can build enough quantity of these Hino trucks to provide demonstration vehicles, and also solutions to our future fleet partners,” said Jay Klemp, Director of Sales at GATR EV.
The vehicles on order will feature the patented SEA-Drive system comprising the electric motor and a 138 kWh battery pack.
SEA Electric will supply the first 40 trucks in the order by the end of 2021 and will deliver the remaining vehicles in 2022.
The company recently received investment from vehicle supplier Meritor in the US. While the partners did not disclose the sum of the investment, SEA Electric, at the time, stated targets to provide more than 500 commercial electric vehicles this year alone and plans to put more than 15,000 vehicles on the road by the end of 2023.
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