Ryder System has started to take delivery of 125 medium-duty electric-powered panel vans as part of the company’s exclusive sales and service partnership with Chanje Energy, which was announced in August.

Ryder also plans to equip its maintenance facilities in several major markets, including in California, and in Chicago and New York, with commercial electric vehicle charging stations.  Ryder is leveraging Chanje’s energy services solutions business and is equipping key Ryder locations with charging stations from eMotorWerks, Chanje’s recently announced partner.

“The rollout of our new electric vehicle offering reinforces Ryder’s leadership in commercial advanced vehicle technology solutions and demonstrates our commitment to identifying innovative ways to meet our customers’ transportation needs,” said Dennis Cooke, president, global fleet management solutions for Ryder. “We are proud to partner with Chanje to bring an all-electric medium-duty vehicle to market as this will further promote energy efficiency in the industry by allowing our rental and lease customers to implement electric vehicles into their operations on a short-term or long-term basis.”

Chanje’s all-electric large delivery-style van is equipped to haul up to 6,000 pounds and up to 580 cubic feet of cargo. It will become available for Ryder ChoiceLease and rental customers in several key markets by the end of 2017.

The initial 125 vehicles will be maintained at Ryder’s maintenance facilities within the California, New York and Illinois markets where EV charging stations are being installed. These smart charging stations connect with a customized cloud-based JuiceNet control platform to intelligently manage EV charging, including remote access control, automatic energy management to avoid peak pricing, smart algorithms to maximize charging with available renewable energy from the grid, and electricity usage tracking.

Ryder is the exclusive distribution and service provider for Chanje’s medium-duty EV fleet, for which the company is offering preventive maintenance s part of Ryder’s SelectCare fleet maintenance portfolio.

The company noted that Chanje vehicles are built as electric platforms from the ground up, enabling them to be produced at scale. Chanje plans to introduce a full range of EVs including trucks, delivery vans, and shuttle buses in a variety of lengths and capacities.

“Ryder’s order of 125 Chanje electric trucks is significant because it demonstrates their commitment to all-electric commercial mobility and their role as our sales channel and service partner,” said Bryan Hansel, founder & CEO of Chanje. “There is a pent-up customer demand for commercial electric vehicles which makes today’s delivery of Chanje electric truck to Ryder a significant milestone.”