Morgan Olson is hoping to give last-mile delivery providers and independent
contractors a better choice when it comes to vehicle selection.
The subsidiary of J.B.
Pointdexter introduced two Class 2 walk-in vans at the NTEA Work Truck Show on Wednesday,
one of which is a fully electric model. The Storm vans are designed with
frequent-stop delivery operations in mind.
“Before the Storm, Class 2
choices were limited to cargo vans and cab chassis/cutaways,” explained Rich
Tremmel, vice president of sales and marketing for Morgan Olson. “Morgan
Olson’s Storm is clearing a new path for the thousands of customers,
particularly in the commercial van segment, that have been forced to settle for
a product that was fundamentally designed for consumer use.”
Tremmel noted that the Storm
is built with commercial use in mind, including higher-quality doors, handles
and other parts that are designed for commercial longevity.
“All the components and
moving parts in the Storm body are proven long-life work truck solutions, just
like the ones the world’s largest parcel delivery companies have relied on
Morgan Olson to deliver year after year,” he said.
Both the Storm and the
all-electric Storm are under 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, so they can be
driven by anyone.
The electric version
features a BMWi EV electric battery that is in use in over 65,000 vehicles in
Europe.
The trucks feature a higher “seated”
position for drivers, providing more visibility. The doors allow for easy entry
and exit to the vehicle, potentially saving wear and tear on a driver’s muscles
and leading to less fatigue as package delivery drivers enter and exit the
vehicle hundreds of times each day.
Storm vehicles feature
360-degree cameras with split-view display, lane-keeping system and
pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking. The vehicles are built
on a Ford chassis but can also be adapted to a Fiat Chysler platform, Tremmel
said.
