Merchants Fleet, a nationwide fleet management company, has ordered several 100% battery-electric stepvans from Xos, Inc., a fleet services provider and manufacturer of medium-duty and heavy-duty Class 5 through Class 8 battery-electric vehicles.

Merchants ordered 58 vans, which are being delivered to three locations for Merchants Fleet during the second quarter of 2022, including San Diego; North Highlands, California; and Hooksett, New Hampshire.

“Fleet electrification is extremely important to us at Merchants,” said Hari Nayar, Vice President of Fleet Electrification and Sustainability at Merchants Fleet. “In 2021, we announced our $2.5 billion commitment to electrifying our fleet and the reservations and orders of 40,000 electric vehicles to achieve our goal of having 50% of our Mobility fleet electric by 2025 and 50% of our clients' fleets electric by 2030. Partnering with innovative OEMs like Xos helps us to reach this important goal.” 

In December 2021, Merchants announced its initial intent to purchase step vans from Xos, with the first 10 expected in 2022. The electric Xos step van is designed to accommodate an extensive variety of medium-duty bodies, making it an ideal solution for Merchants’ portfolio of last-mile delivery clients throughout North America.

“We are pleased to continue delivering vehicles to Merchants Fleet and supporting the growth of their EV portfolio,” said Jessica Savage, Head of Distribution at Xos.

The SV05 is available in a variety of configurations. The modular chassis and battery systems allows Xos to tailor the step van to meet the exact needs of any fleet, according to the company.

Specifications for the Xos SV05 step van include:

• Range: 120-150 miles

• GVWR: 19,500 - 23,000 lbs

• Charge Time: 1.5 hour DC / 4 hour L2

• Charge Rating: 350kW (DC) / 22 kW (AC)

• Wheelbases: 178" / 193" / 227"

• Integrated Telematics

• Propulsion: Direct Drive

• Body Sizes: 16' / 18"

• Max Torque: 1696 ft lbs

• Power: 335 Horsepower

• Suspension: Leaf-Spring

• Tailpipe Emissions: 0

• Fuel Costs: $0