KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Electric yard truck manufacturer Orange EV recently celebrated the grand opening of its new 440,000-square-foot headquarters and production facility in Kansas City, Kansas.
According to the latest CALSTART report “Zeroing in on Zero-Emission Trucks,” the yard truck vehicle segment is making the fastest transition to electric, and Orange EV has deployed more heavy-duty trucks than all other manufacturers.
“From the beginning, Orange EV has designed and built our own trucks, chargers and battery packs, and we have direct-to-customer sales and service teams,” a news release states. “When a customer has an issue, our mobile service teams go straight to the customer’s site to solve it directly and solve it fast.”
Founded in 2012, Orange EV began producing its first pure-electric yard trucks in a 2,000-square-foot facility. Since its start, the company has not only commercially deployed its first pure-electric heavy-duty, or HD, yard truck (in 2015), but it has also grown to have over 1,000 HD electric trucks now deployed in 36 states across the nation.
Deliveries of trucks and chargers typically happen within 90 days from the day the order was submitted.
In the new production facility, Orange EV has the capacity to produce more than 200 trucks per month in a single shift.
“Orange EV’s investment of more than $37 million will create 185 new jobs right here in Kansas City benefiting families throughout Wyandotte County,” said Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. “Between Panasonic and now Orange EV, we are home to a growing EV and battery sector that will uplift our state and power the future of transportation.”
Orange EV credits its exponential growth to staying close to its core mission and values.
“From the beginning, we set out to build a truck that was better in every way than the diesel. To do that, our engineering teams work closely with service, sales, and customers in an evaluative and iterative process of continual improvement. As a result, our trucks average more than 98% uptime compared to 75% for comparable diesels,” said Kurt Neutgens, Orange EV co-founder, president and chief technical officer. “We also are committed to building trucks that are better for the environment. Our zero-emission trucks are a win-win: the right thing for the planet and the right thing for the business bottom line. Customers can come out ahead by more than $500,000 per truck after 10 years of operation, without incentives.”
The Orange EV coordinated, turnkey solution includes trucks, chargers, training and service.
“Unlike other companies where fleets have to navigate through dealers and third-party suppliers, at Orange EV we know that time is precious and have developed an efficient, customer-centric ecosystem,” said Wayne Mathisen, Orange EV co-founder and CEO. “From the beginning, Orange EV has designed and built our own trucks, chargers, and battery packs, and we have direct-to-customer sales and service teams. When a customer has an issue, our mobile service teams go straight to the customer’s site to solve it directly and solve it fast.”
Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Erica N. Guy decided to stay in her hometown to begin her professional career in journalism. Since obtaining her bachelor’s degree from UAPB, Erica has professionally written for several publications about several topics ranging from lifestyle, tech, culture, and entertainment, just to name a few. Continuing her love for her hometown, she joined our team in June 2023, where she is currently a staff writer. Her career goals include continuing storytelling through her writing by being the best professional writer she can be. In her spare time, Erica enjoys trying new foods, cozying up with a good book, spending time with family and friends, and establishing herself as a future businesswoman.
