Zeus Electric Chassis Inc. in White Bear Lake, Minn., has selected Port Huron’s Edison Manufacturing and Engineering Inc. to partner in the production of its Class 5 chassis cab work trucks starting in 2024.
Zeus is in the later stages of design and validation to become an OEM of battery electric zero-emission work trucks suited for multiple commercial applications.
Edison is a contract manufacturer that specializes in flexible, capital-efficient process development for low-volume production mobility and mobility-related products, such as specialty vehicles. Its sister organization, PJ Wallbank Springs Inc., also based in Port Huron, has been a Tier 1 automotive component manufacturing supplier since 1982.
As the agreement is further defined, Edison may also assist Zeus with process engineering.
“We are delighted to join this journey with Zeus to electrify the commercial fleet work truck market segment, and we’re excited about Zeus’ differentiated product,” says Brandon Bartneck, vice president and general manager at Edison. “We continue to grow our portfolio as a trusted production partner for companies launching new products in the electrification space, and we’re eager to further expand our impact.”
Zeus has defined a class 5 launch configuration of two-wheel-drive with a dual rear wheel e-axle, conventional cab, and a new 800V electrical architecture. The first units to be built by Edison in 2024 are targeted for delivery to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
“It’s great that we can bring the Minnesota and Michigan ecosystems together to launch our product,” says Dave Stenson, managing director at Zeus. “We look forward to working with the Edison team in finalizing the specifics of the agreement and deliver these highly anticipated and great-performing EV work trucks next year.”
