Motiv Electric Trucks on Tuesday introduced Argo, its first-ever fully-integrated cab-chassis design that significantly expands the number and type of vehicles and applications that can be electrified. The announcement was made during the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Las Vegas.
Available in multiple configurations, Motiv says Argo supports dock-height to lower-profile applications and a wider range of truck body lengths for work site vehicles (short dump trucks and aerial lifts), walk-through delivery trucks (step vans), dry freight or refrigerated trucks up to 30 ft., long, and buses.
“Overnight we’ve moved from a company primarily serving a narrow slice of the $20 billion medium duty truck market to one that can serve nearly that entire market,” says Scott Griffith, CEO of Motiv Electric Trucks. “The launch of Argo is a transformational moment for our company as we can now offer more vehicles and options to help more fleet customers meet their sustainability goals.”
“We’ve come a long way from the early days of the electric truck industry – every year we see substantial improvements in uptime and performance coming from design improvements we’ve developed hand-in-hand with customers,” adds Jim Castelaz, Motiv’s founder and Chief Technology and Revenue Officer. “Many fleet customers have been impressed with the simple design of our new Gen 6 architecture, which includes less copper, better cable routing, easier service access, our patented smart hub and reliable software. This apparent simplicity took years for us to optimize and now our customers can finally reap the benefits.”
Argo’s intentional design incorporated learnings from Motiv's 15 years and four million miles of vehicles on the road and was informed by substantial customer participation and feedback, the company says. The result is a new truck that is energy efficient, safer for pedestrians and drivers and offers the highest payload of any medium-duty electric vehicle.
Motiv says among the many benefits of the Argo series are:
- Heavier payloads, farther: Argo trucks haul up to 14,000 lb., of payload and can drive up to 200 miles. The cab’s lightweight composite structure coupled with the Aries LFP battery that was co-developed with Our Next Energy, provides fleets with industry-leading range and payload, all without requiring a commercial driver’s license (CDL), the company says.
- Safety for everyone: Argo’s safety-focused design begins with an emphasis on visibility. Forward command seating, low beltlines, larger windshield and a low curbside window provide drivers more direct views of their surroundings to keep pedestrians safe. Front and rear camera and optional e-mirrors offer additional visibility enhancements, the company says. Argo’s design also prioritizes driver safety. Curbside, forward-facing entry and exit with two full-length safety railings and full-size, high-friction, self-cleaning interior steps help mitigate the most commonly-occurring operator injuries, the company states.
- A truck that drivers love: Designed for operator heights ranging from 4 ft. 11 in., to 6 ft. 3 in., Argo was built to maximize accessibility and thus expand the pool of potential drivers. A heated captain seat with adjustable lumbar support and armrests enables better driving posture, allowing for improved vehicle control while reducing fatigue. Intuitive navigation, climate control, cup holder and device charger ports are within an arm’s reach for everyone, minimizing distractions. The 6 ft., 3 in., interior allows drivers to step in, stand up and stretch, and offers ample storage space and room for one or two optional jump seats, the company says.
- Superior uptime and durability: The Argo platform provides superior durability and uptime at a fraction of the weight of other electric medium duty trucks. Built in partnership with TPI Composites, the Argo cab uses advanced structural composite materials and processes that provide dramatically higher corrosion and impact resistance as well as better repairability and stronger structural integrity. As a result, the cab gets damaged less frequently and can be repaired faster. Motiv’s robust Gen 6 technology featuring the Motiv Smart Hub improves reliability by reducing cables and replacing wires with circuit boards. The Argo has superior service access from within the cab to expedite maintenance, empowering fleets to spend more time on route, the company states.
- Energy optimized: Energy optimization is everywhere in the Argo cab’s composite structure, which the company says provides superior insulation versus metal cabs. Other energy-saving features include built-in microwire heat on the windshield to save on defrosting energy and seats heated and cooled with specially-designed airflow.
- Compatible with 14-ft., to 30-ft., truck bodies. The Argo comes in wheelbases ranging from 178-in., to 252-in. Available in a dock-height configuration with standard 295/75R22.5 tires or a lower-profile height with 245/70R19.5 tires, Argo works in almost any medium-duty application, the company says.
- Diesel-equivalent torque: Argo's patented motor and controller, co-developed with Nidec, offers torque comparable to a Class 8 diesel and motor performance comparable to an 800V system, all using a 400V system that is compatible with all DC fast chargers, the company adds.
