Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2023 - 19

BLUE ARC AMPS UP FOR
ELECTRIFICATION FEATURE
EV PRODUCTION
The company claims to be the only OEM manufacturing the chassis and the body in-house for Class 3-5.
Shyft Group's EV subsidiary is lighting the path for the electrification of last-mile
delivery vehicles as well as mobile charging solutions.
by Matt Wolfe
I
n June of 2020, while the world was still coming to
grips with the COVID-19 pandemic, Spartan Motors
announced that it was rebranding as The Shyft
Group. Following this reorganization, Shyft announced
in March of 2022 that it was launching a subsidiary,
Blue Arc EV Solutions, to design and manufacture
battery-electric vehicles for last-mile delivery.
The prototype Blue Arc van body and chassis were
revealed at NTEA's 2022 Work Truck Week in
Indianapolis, Indiana, as well as a concept for a mobile
charging station dubbed the Power Cube (www.sae.org/
news/2022/03/bev-truck-manufacturers-charge-aheadat-2022-ntea-show).
Following the reveal of its prototypes,
Shyft invited journalists to the M1 Concourse in
Pontiac, Michigan, to see the proof-of-concept versions
of both the delivery van and the Power Cube.
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering was on hand to
note the latest updates on both products, as well as
sample the driving experience of the van in its current
state of development. Blue Arc also had several SMEs
on hand to provide further details on the van's chassis
and propulsion system, as well as the refinement of the
Power Cube based on feedback from potential customers
and government agencies.
An anti-startup
Daryl Adams, president and CEO of The Shyft Group,
is adamant that Blue Arc is more than another JohnnyTRUCK
& OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
come-lately among the dizzying array of new commercial EV manufacturers.
" The EV fleet segment is filled with startups, " he said during
his presentation. " We are the anti-startup. "
Adams' company certainly has the chops to back up that claim.
Shyft has been in the commercial chassis space in one form or another
for nearly half a century. The Michigan-based firm has a proven
production history and currently assembles commercial vehicles
ranging from vocational trucks to RV chassis.
" Half of all parcel-delivery vehicles on the road today were produced
by Shyft, " said Adams. " We are a proven fleet provider and are
the only OEM manufacturing the chassis and the body in-house for
Class 3-5. We feel that we are poised to lead this EV evolution. "
The green mile
To start that evolution, Shyft chose last-mile delivery as its catalyst.
" We believe last-mile delivery will be the first segment to successfully
transition, " Adams said. The van features a ladder-frame chassis that
will be available in Class 3 through 5 configurations with body-length
options ranging from 12 to 22 feet (3.6 to 6.7 meters).
The Blue Arc van is powered by a 120-240 kWh lithium-ion battery
pack that Shyft claims can deliver a 150-mile (241-km) range at 50%
payload, with additional range courtesy of optional battery packs.
Adams stated that the company is " very comfortable " with the validity
of their advertised range. Blue Arc lists a total charge time from
two to six hours.
There will be four wheelbase options - 178-, 190-, 208- and 230in.
(4521-, 4826-, 5283- and 5842-mm) - which according to Shyft
will support a wide array of applications and will allow customers to
February 2023 19
BLUE ARC

https://www.sae.org/news/2022/03/bev-truck-manufacturers-charge-ahead-at-2022-ntea-show

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2023

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