West Michigan-based Morgan Olson and South Carolina’s Freightliner Custom Chassis have collaborated to produce the Proxima walk-in step van — available with both all-electric and traditional ICE power — using a streamlined body design by EAVX, the innovation hub for J.B. Poindexter & Co. Inc. (JBPCO) in Houston.
Morgan Olson is a purpose-built work truck body manufacturer with its North American headquarters in Sturgis on the Indiana border. The primary industries served by Morgan Olson’s work truck bodies are parcel package and home delivery.
The company states almost everything ordered online is delivered to millions of businesses and homes daily by Morgan Olson Work truck bodies. Other vital industries Morgan Olson serves include uniform rental and commercial laundry services, baking and snack foods, city municipalities, telecommunications providers and utility services, and food trucks.
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. is a manufacturer of gas, diesel, and alternative-fuel chassis for the medium-duty pick-up and delivery markets.
EAVX in Houston is the innovation hub within JBPCO and develops sustainable, high-performance system commercial fleets, integrating alternative power chassis, body, technology, and design.
The Proxima van features several new body designs from Morgan Olson, including design scalability from Class 2b through Class 5 gross vehicle weight ratings. It comes in either ICE or EV powertrains.
It also comes with purpose-built custom upfits and “streamlined, cost-effective integration into mixed-power fleets with platform readiness for both internal combustion and all-electric chassis.”
It uses lightweight, high-quality materials to lower electrical energy draw and increase EV operational range and ICE fuel economy, says Mike Ownbey, president and CEO of Morgan Olson. It also has digital integration with VX Control technology from EAVX. This adds connectivity and command and control capabilities.
Inside the cab and throughout the vehicle, Proxima features new, integrated technology options designed to enhance driver ergonomics, safety, and efficiency — starting with its VX control system.
The VX control enables fleets to connect, configure, and command a vehicle’s full digital vehicle infrastructure by unifying body and cab electronics and wiring into a single, intelligent system — no matter the chassis or powertrain, says Ownbey.
In addition, Morgan Olson’s Proxima includes several driver-assistance and safety technologies from EAVX, including:
- Microclimate seat for driver comfort and enhanced control of cab heating and cooling at reduced energy.
- A holistic climate control system with an intelligent HVAC system.
- Heated windshield to improve visibility and reduce battery energy draw.
- 360-degree camera and blind-spot monitoring for full-vehicle visibility.
- Single, high-visibility display and user-friendly integrated touch screen for streamlined command and control of vehicle technology.
- Ambient informational light display near the windshield and in the driver’s forward view to serve as an at-a-glance operator warning and operator support system.
“It’s an exciting time for Morgan Olson, EAVX, and Freightliner Custom Chassis to collaborate on this newest version of Proxima, especially as we prepare to deploy the first units for customer evaluation and testing in late 2024 or early 2025,” says Ownbey.
