What do a race car driver and a delivery driver have in common? At first glance, they may seem more different than alike, but there’s one important thing they share: both rely on their vehicles to get the job done, whether it’s winning a race or making deliveries on time. Now, imagine hitting the track or starting your delivery route with only half a tank of fuel. That’s essentially what happened in a recent customer demo of our W56 EV step van.
To ensure confidentiality for the demo’s participants and company, let’s call the driver “Joe.” Joe brings over thirty years of experience with a prominent national fleet to the table. Alongside him, Steve Conrad, Workhorse’s go-to training manager, kicked off the demo. However, the W56 battery was at only 50% state of charge (SOC). The route was a bit over 50 miles long, with 80 stops to make. Even though the W56 can easily cover 150 miles on a full charge, starting at 50% was a bold move. But we love a good challenge—it was the perfect chance to show what our electric step van can really do.
The route had everything: busy industrial areas, quiet neighborhoods, and even deliveries to three prisons…yes three! It was a true test of the W56’s strength and range. But let’s pause for a sec and talk about why demos like this are so important. A demo is the ultimate test drive. It lets the people thinking about buying a Workhorse fleet see the vehicles in action, day after day, doing the real work. It’s a big deal because buying a fleet of trucks is a major investment, and customers want to know they’re making the right choice. During a demo, we get to prove our trucks are up to the task and that our team is there to provide outstanding support and industry expertise, every mile of the way.
Simply put, this demo isn’t just about showing off our vehicle. It’s about showing potential customers that when they choose Workhorse, they’re picking reliability and trust.
As the demo day started, some onlookers at the loading dock joked that our EV wouldn’t make it back without a tow. But Steve and our support team were not phased. Their confidence was contagious, helping to reassure Joe that he’d have enough range to finish the route.
Real World Feedback: Fine-Tuning the Experience
Along the way, Joe gave feedback on the vehicle’s layout and functionality, from how often he used the passenger door to what he thought about the grab rails and door latches. He even weighed in on the dashboard lights and the sounds the vehicle makes. Every bit of real-world feedback is gold, helping our designers and engineers make the W56 even better.
But the real proof of the pudding was how the W56 stood up to the day’s challenges. Joe loved how the van drove, especially the smooth ride and how easy it was to use just one pedal for most of his driving. Sure, there may be a couple of small details to tweak on this new-to-market EV, but overall, he was impressed.
The Finish Line: Surpassing Expectations
And the result? The W56 came back with a hefty 26% SOC remaining in the batteries! That’s right, even starting with only half a charge, it had plenty of power left after all those miles and stops. How did that happen? The two biggest factors were driver behavior and a very efficient drive profile. Joe did exceptionally well at driving an EV, steady acceleration and maximizing regenerative braking opportunities. This created a regen return of almost 50% of energy used. With a brand-new EV driver, the truck still returned over 30 MPGe. It was the perfect way to show that range anxiety is no match for the W56’s capabilities.
Stay tuned for more updates as we keep pushing the boundaries of what electric commercial vehicles can do. With Workhorse, the future of delivery isn’t just bright—it’s electrifying. Learn more and see if the W56 is the right vehicle for your fleet at www.workhorse.com/fleets.
The best way to appreciate the W56 is to drive one, and we have vehicles in production and available for delivery now. Contact us to begin your zero-emission journey today.