Vicinity Motor, a commercial electric vehicle manufacturer, has unveiled its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ferndale, Washington, poised to make a significant impact on their order backlog. The facility boasts an impressive annual assembly capacity of over 7,000 low- and zero-emission vehicles, addressing the surging demand for eco-friendly transportation solutions.
Vicinity Motor reports a substantial order book exceeding $150 million, bolstered by recent agreements with key industry players including Lafarge Canada, Transdev, and Pioneer Auto Group.
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This cutting-edge plant has the capability to assemble 850 low and zero-emission buses and an impressive 6,250 Class 3 all-electric trucks each year. Among these, the VMC1200 stands out, offering approximately 100 kWh of power with a remarkable range of up to 150 miles (240 kilometers) on a single charge. This medium-duty electric truck boasts a 6,000-pound load capacity, a top speed of 65 mph, and an 8 kW onboard charger. Electrovaya, Vicinity’s chosen battery supplier, is expected to utilize NMC chemistry, while the drive system reportedly comes from German SME Lion Smart.
The production of Class 3 trucks commenced in 2022 at Vicinity’s Aldergrove facility in British Columbia, Canada, before transitioning to the newly inaugurated factory in Washington State.
Vicinity Motor’s CEO, Will Trainer, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “With light- and medium-duty EV inventories across North America projected to top one million by 2030 and six million by 2040, I’m excited to see our business firing on all cylinders, and am immensely proud of the work our team has put into designing and building a world-class manufacturing facility.”
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Beyond assembly, the Ferndale campus will also serve as a hub for pre-delivery inspections, research and development, and general technical and servicing work.
While the company maintains its headquarters in Aldergrove, BC, the strategic location of the new Washington campus, less than 20 miles south of the Canadian HQ, enhances access to vital port, rail, and truck shipping and receiving infrastructure.
Michael Shepard, President of the Port of Bellingham’s Commission, emphasized their support, stating, “The Port is proud to be able to help another Canadian company expand into the US market while creating family-wage jobs for Whatcom County residents and accelerating the transition to a sustainable public transit system.”
Vicinity Motor has been awarded a $300,000 economic development strategic reserve fund (SRF) grant and has recently augmented its $30-million credit facility with the Royal Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada (EDC) with an additional $9-million working capital credit facility from EDC.
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John LaGourgue, VMC’s Vice President of Corporate Development, highlighted the company’s preparedness for expansion, stating, “By completing key hires and fully funding our new operations with non-dilutive debt financing, we’re in a prime position to scale quickly and accelerate our sales push across North America.”
CEO Will Trainer underscored the strong demand for their latest EV offering, the VMC 1200 electric commercial truck, driven by various sectors including municipal, landscaping, transportation, shipping, and logistics, all seeking to reduce costs and carbon emissions while optimizing their fleets. Vicinity Motor’s partnership with distributors like Pioneer Auto Group further reinforces their commitment to advancing sustainable transportation solutions.
