Lightning eMotors Partners with Perrone Robotics to Offer Fully Autonomous Vehicle Option to Zero-Emission Fleet Customers

Lightning eMotors (NYSE: ZEV), a leading provider of zero-emission medium-duty commercial vehicles and electric vehicle technology for fleets, and Perrone Robotics have partnered to offer Class 3 - 7 commercial fleet customers self-driving, electric fleet vehicles that can be deployed for a wide range of dedicated uses.

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A Lightning electric van equipped with Perrone Robotics’ autonomous driving system goes through its paces at Perrone’s proving ground in Crozet, Virginia (Photo: Lightning eMotors)

The partnership expands Lightning’s zero-emissions EV platform offerings to include Perrone’s AV-powered technology, TONY, a vehicle-independent retrofit kit designed to enable vehicles to transport people and goods in geo-fenced and dedicated driving routes. Vehicles equipped with Perrone’s self-driving technology embedded into Lightning’s vehicles for both cargo and passenger uses can be ordered immediately.

“We were looking for partners who could deliver autonomous capabilities to our customers today, and in the future — and that’s what Perrone offers,” Lightning eMotors CEO Tim Reeser said. “We offer perhaps the widest range of electric commercial vehicles in North America, and now we have an autonomous vehicle solution for our products, ranging from ambulances to campus shuttles and other commercial applications.”

PIDC, Philadelphia's public-private economic development corporation, is the first Lightning eMotors customer to purchase a self-driving, all-electric shuttle powered by Perrone’s TONY AV kit. Pennsylvania's first AV shuttle will provide transportation services to visitors and employees within the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a 1,200-acre dynamic, urban development centrally located in the popular waterfront business campus. Lightning and Perrone are in active discussions with a number of other potential customers as well.

Perrone is a leading provider of AV technology and turnkey vehicle solutions. The company holds a Pioneer Patent for its “MAX” general purpose robotics operating system, which is the backbone of its TONY solution. Together with MAX, TONY is one of the most flexible and adaptable AV solutions available in the current market. Perrone’s AV retrofit kit can be integrated into new vehicles and can also be integrated into existing, repowered vehicles.