The Shyft Group in Novi Announces Versatile Chassis for Specialty EVs

Novi-based The Shyft Group, a leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing and assembly for the commercial and fleet vehicle industries, plans to introduce an all-electric purpose-built Class 3 chassis platform designed to serve an array of medium-duty truck markets.
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Shyfts new specialty EV chassis
The Shyft Group will announce a new Class 3 EV chassis designed for specialty trucks. // Courtesy of The Shyft Group

Novi-based The Shyft Group, a leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing and assembly for the commercial and fleet vehicle industries, plans to introduce an all-electric purpose-built Class 3 chassis platform designed to serve an array of medium-duty EV truck markets.

Shyft Innovations, the company’s dedicated mobility research and development team, states the new platform will be available to any specialty vehicle body builder and feature customizable length and wheelbase, allowing it to be suited for a variety of vehicle types, including last mile delivery vehicles, work trucks, mass transit vehicles, recreational vehicles, and other EV markets.

Prototypes are expected for customer testing in early 2022, and plans are to begin production in the middle of 2023.

“We’ve listened closely to our customers and to the industry at large to design this EV chassis to address an unmet need in the specialty vehicles market,” says Daryl Adams, president and CEO of The Shyft Group.

“We worked hand-in-hand with major parcel delivery customers to develop an EV chassis that will help customers meet green mandates head-on. With a rich history in chassis engineering, body builders trust our deep domain expertise and our ability to deliver a reliable purpose-built EV platform that will deliver inherent efficiencies that positively impact the bottom line for fleet customers and owner operators alike.”

Adams believes the platform will allow for faster adoption of EVs in the specialty vehicle category. Shyft operates facilities in Michigan, Indiana, Maine, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Missouri, California, Arizona, Texas, and Saltillo, Mexico. It employs around 2,900 people across its campuses.