Electric Last Mile Solutions, Inc. (ELMS) announced July 20 that the University of Notre Dame has begun a pilot of the ELMS all-electric Urban Delivery van for use on the university’s campus, according to a press release.

The testing program will assess how Notre Dame can advance both efficiency and sustainability within its operations by using purpose-built electric vehicles.

“Partnering with ELMS on this pilot program represents a terrific opportunity to explore how Notre Dame can accelerate its sustainability goals while driving operational efficiency and supporting local manufacturing,” Carol Mullaney, Notre Dame’s senior director of sustainability and logistics, said in the release. “We look forward to working with ELMS and setting an example for how higher education can move the needle on sustainability through fleet electrification.”

ELMS Co-Founder and CEO James Taylor said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Notre Dame, one of the country’s leading research universities, to pilot our Urban Delivery in what we believe is a considerable yet underserved vertical in the commercial vehicle market." He added that with ELMS' intended manufacturing operations just down the road, the test with local partners like Notre Dame will help put St. Joseph County on the map as a national hub for American-made electric vehicles.

As part of the pilot program, the ELMS Urban Delivery will be put through the university campus fleet’s various duty cycles. The program will also incorporate the use of advanced vehicle data analytics and telematics, a first for the university’s fleet. Notre Dame and ELMS will work together to gather in-field performance data throughout the pilot.

Production of the Urban Delivery is expected to begin later this year at ELMS’ intended manufacturing and assembly plant in Mishawaka, Ind. The Urban Delivery is expected to be the first electric Class 1 commercial vehicle available in the U.S. and is anticipated to have a range of 150 miles.