Motiv Power Systems has earned a valuable vote of confidence from Ford – the California manufacturer of electric powertrains is now a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM).

Members of the QVM program can modify vehicles for commercial customers while keeping the original manufacturer’s warranty in force. With the new eQVM designation, Ford has expanded its program to include electrified and hydraulic hybrid powertrains. Motiv has met Ford’s assessment criteria verifying that the company meets the manufacturing, assembly, workmanship, customer service and quality requirements of the eQVM program. Customers can be confident that their Motiv-powered electric work trucks are in compliance with Ford guidelines and retain their factory warranties.

Motiv’s patented Powertrain Control System uses independent battery and accessory control to provide a modular and scalable all-electric powertrain. The flexibility of this architecture enables the matching of components such as batteries and motors to meet the exact needs of a vehicle’s duty cycle, and allows electric trucks and buses to be built on the same chassis and bodies as their legacy fossil-fueled counterparts.

Vehicles currently powered by Motiv include school buses for Kings Canyon Unified School District, walk-in vans for AmeriPride Services, shuttle buses funded by Google, and  an electric refuse truck deployed by the City of Chicago. Motiv says their zero-emission trucks and buses have demonstrated a reduction of total operating costs of up to 87 percent compared to diesel trucks.

“Motiv is committed to freeing fleet vehicles from their dependency on fossil fuels,” said Jim Castelaz, Motiv’s founder and CEO. “Our powertrains coupled with Ford’s existing commercial vehicle chassis are an ideal match. Partnering with Ford in programs like this will work towards our greater goal: making electric-powered commercial vehicles the norm, not the exception.”

Source: Motiv Power Systems