Ryder System has formed a 10-year strategic partnership with Workhorse Group to be primary distributor and provider of service and support for Workhorse light- and medium-duty range-extended electric vehicles in North America.

Workhorse provides battery electric and range-extended hybrid electric vehicles for the commercial vehicle industry. Ryder will be the primary provider of service for these vehicles and will now be the primary distributor of the E-100, E-Gen, and the new W-15 electric pickup.

“Workhorse brings not only a strong track record in range-extended electric medium-duty vehicles with the E-100 and E-Gen, but also a strong future in the light-duty market with the range-extended W-15 electric pickup," said Scott Perry, chief technology and procurement officer at Ryder. “This new strategic partnership will help us expand our advanced vehicle technology portfolio of innovative solutions within the commercial transportation industry."

As part of the deal Ryder will also join the Workhorse W-15 leadership council. Earlier this year UPS and Workhorse demonstrated a home package delivery using the Workhorse E-Gen launching an automated Horsefly drone for delivery. Workhorse also released preliminary specifications for the W-15 pickup truck in April and recently unveiled its first drivable prototype.

"Our partnership with Ryder represents an important milestone for Workhorse as we seek to transition to commercial scale," said Stephen Burns, CEO of Workhorse. "We believe that this partnership will also open distribution to a wide range of national, regional and local fleets looking to save fuel and maintenance costs by integrating electric Workhorse step vans and pickup trucks."