After Céline Dion and Cirque du Soleil, Quebec once again succeeded in attracting attention in Las Vegas.
French accents rang out, and a surprising number of members of the Quebec trucking industry were at the Lion Electric booth at ACT Expo for the long-awaited unveiling of the Lion8, a 100% battery-electric Class 8 tractor.
(Photo: Steve Bouchard)
Marc Bédard, CEO and founder of Lion Electric, called the unveiling “an exceptional milestone in the Lion Electric adventure. Today we’re not just unveiling a new commercial truck, we’re changing the game in freight transportation.”
Nicolas Brunet, president of Lion Electric, was delighted with the feedback he received from guests who test-drove the Lion8. “The comments we’ve received about the Lion8 are resounding. Drivers praised its superior comfort, the exceptional visibility made possible by the cabover design, and also its smooth operation loaded to capacity.”
The Lion8 boasts a GVWR of 127,000 lb., the highest in the electric truck segment, Lion claimed. It’s a 6×4 configuration featuring two drive axles with two integrated speeds. Lion’s exclusive battery capacity ranges from 525 kWh to 630 kWh, with a range of up to 440 kilometers.
The Lion8 can be recharged to 80% of its capacity in around 1.5 hours (it accepts a recharging capacity of 290 kW). Depending on the battery pack used, the Lion8’s weight varies between 23,000 and 26,000 lb., and its front axle has a capacity of 18,000 lb.
Lion says its Class 8 electric tractor is also intelligent, thanks to its developed 750 V energy density battery system and standard Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) compatibility. Additional features such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and an on-board weighing system enhance its safety and operational efficiency.
The Lion8 will be available in Canada early in the third quarter, as soon as it has been certified by Transport Canada, founder Marc Bédard told TruckNews.com. The truck will be manufactured at Lion’s Saint-Jérôme plant, and may also eventually be assembled at its Joliet, Ill., facility, if U.S. demand warrants.
“We are a leader on the bus side and we also want to become a leader on the commercial truck side,” Bédard told TruckNews.com. “The truck market took a little longer than expected. We manufacture in sequences, with delivery dates announced to our customers. It’s not a race against time, it’s a matter of being there at the right time with the right product.”
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