Lightning eMotors is giving gasoline and diesel vehicles a second zero-emissions life by repowering a variety of transit vehicles for shuttle service providers located throughout California’s Silicon Valley.

The all-electric vehicles include Class 3 passenger vans and Class 7 motorcoaches, which are all currently either in service, or soon to be in service, at some of the leading tech companies in the region.

As the Bay Area’s top employers continue to reduce or eliminate remote or hybrid work options following COVID, and as fuel prices continue to surge, Lightning’s repowered vehicles are being used to provide zero-emission inner campus and park and ride transportation for thousands of employees. In addition to reducing traffic congestion, fuel costs, and tailpipe emissions, the vehicles will support increased productivity among the employees who utilize the service by providing a safe, quiet atmosphere during the time spent commuting to and from work, according to Lightning.

“We are encouraged by an acceleration in the adoption of repowered vehicles, not only by these Bay Area powerhouses, but by private and public sector businesses and universities across the country,” said Lightning eMotors CEO Tim Reeser. “Industries are realizing that repowering existing vehicles with our electric drive system is a highly cost-effective way to lower emissions. And though some companies are looking at converting electric cargo vans to passenger vans, they don’t provide the range, payload, or safety capacity as a repowered transit.”

The repowered vehicles are also equipped with Lightning’s integrated advanced telematics system, which allows up to 100 parameters of vehicle performance to be tracked in near-real-time to optimize route planning, increase cost-savings, and assist with day-to-day operations. The analytics can also be used to inform monthly ESG reports that can help employers utilizing the repowered vehicles stay on track of their sustainability goals.

Lightning’s repowered vehicle orders were facilitated by ABC Companies, who partnered with Lightning eMotors after conducting a global search for a powertrain provider with the scope, scale, experience, and expertise to provide new and repowered zero-emission vehicles, as well as charging solutions for large corporate and municipal customers.

“We’re seeing a significant uptick in interest in these vehicles as the world comes back from COVID and return-to-work life is accelerating,” ABC Companies President and CCO Roman Cornell said. “Our previous work with Lightning eMotors provides insight that these repowered vehicles will not only surpass customer expectations, but also have the capability to spark a trend in and beyond the Bay Area as companies across the nation continue to seek out new sustainable solutions.”