Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - June 2023 - 27

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT
The LFP batteries supplied by CATL are positioned below the frame
and protected by a steel enclosure for side-impact protection.
Rizon electric trucks will be distributed in the U.S. by Velocity Vehicle Group, which is
growing its U.S. footprint.
Benz trucks, including Active Brake Assist, Active Side Guard
Assist and lane-departure warning. The Rizon brand will carry
what it claims is a class-leading warranty package protecting
the powertrain, chassis and cab for 5 years/75,000 miles
and the high-voltage batteries for 5 years/120,000 miles (as
of April 2023).
" The Rizon trucks are the result of our engineering capacities
and abilities coming from all our brands. For the EV, yes,
we have some shared common components with other platforms, "
Deuschle said. " It's such a quick-developing market,
each month there are new ideas and expertise coming. But
for the U.S., it's an exclusive design we are selling under the
Rizon brand. "
Battery-electric is a better option for medium-duty vehicles
compared to fuel cells, according to Deppen. " For this particular
segment - Class 4 and 5 medium-duty - we believe
at this point the balance from product costs, maturity of the
technology [and] easy-to-use application, that the batteryelectric
vehicle is the solution, " Deppen said. " It offers low
maintenance costs and an advanced package to move into
zero emissions. Fuel cell is technically a bit more complex "
and not yet ready for Class 4 and 5 vehicles.
Distribution arrangement
Start of production begins in August 2023 in Japan. Starting
in Q4 2023, the Rizon electric trucks will be distributed in the
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
Rizon trucks can be recharged by Level 2 AC charging
(J1772) in 5-6 hours and by CCS1-compliant DC fast
charging in 45-90 minutes.
U.S. through an exclusive agreement with Velocity Vehicle
Group, which has around 80 global outlets. California and
New York will be the first sale states, with other locations to
follow. Velocity expects to have 50+ charging stations with
150-kW output each by Q4 2023, said Brad Fauvre, president
and cofounder of the commercial-vehicle dealer group.
With sales consultants and technicians experienced in commercial
e-mobility, Velocity will offer " one-stop shops " for
customers interested in purchasing electric trucks, Fauvre
said. Velocity also will be appointing dealers for Rizon in areas
outside of Velocity's current footprint to provide a network
across the U.S. Financing will be provided by Daimler Truck
Financial Services.
Legislation and customer initiatives focusing on zero-emissions
(ZEV) commercial transportation, along with incentive
funding and tax credits in certain markets that help to ease
fleets' switching costs, are driving " attractive growth potential "
in the medium-duty EV market, company executives said.
The day after Rizon's launch to media, the California Air
Resources Board (CARB) on April 28 passed the Advanced
Clean Fleets (ACF) Rule to accelerate the adoption of zeroemission
medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in the state. The
adopted rule will go into effect on November 1, 2023, with
initial compliance for certain fleets on December 31, 2023. The
rule sets a 100% ZEV truck sales target for 2036.
Ryan Gehm
June 2023 27
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: RIZON; SAE/RYAN GEHM; RIZON
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - June 2023

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