Winnebago Honored by the RV Industry Association for its Pioneering Efforts to Bring Zero Emission Specialty Vehicles to Market
SALT LAKE CITY: Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE: WGO) was honored today with the Sustainability Award by the RV Industry Association (RVIA) for its efforts in bringing an all-electric option to a vehicle segment well-known for daily idling and onboard generators. The award was presented to the company at an award ceremony at the industry trade show, RVX: The RV Experience, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 33/38 foot vehicle is powered by a Ford F-53 based EPIC chassis from Motiv Power Systems. The zero-emission vehicle is a platform for mobile medical units, mobile imaging vehicles, mobile preschools, bloodmobiles, bookmobiles and more.Â
“Our all-electric specialty vehicle offering taps into two growing trends, organizations wanting to take their services and technology to their consumers where they might be and the nationwide electrification of vehicles in an effort to reduce urban idling and onboard generator use for cleaner air,” said Jamie Sorenson, Director of the Winnebago Specialty Vehicles. “We are honored to receive this award.
It is a testament to the great work the whole Specialty Vehicles Division has accomplished and is validation that this new direction is something welcomed by our industry. Winnebago has had a heritage of designing and manufacturing these innovative specialty vehicles for over 30 years.”
Winnebago launched the customizable, all-electric offering last year to serve communities and organizations looking to increase access to services in a cleaner and quieter environment. The all-electric commercial shell platform is well suited for urban and semi-urban short range commercial applications, and use cases where idling or running an external generator for extended periods of time is common, such as mobile medical clinics, bloodmobiles, bookmobiles, mobile classrooms, and other mobile activities. The all-electric EPIC chassis from Motiv Power Systems holds enough charge for eight hours of service plus round-trip travel to and from its home facility, with a range of up to 125 miles.
“We’re proud to have partnered with Winnebago on the electric vehicle,” said Matt O’Leary, CEO Motiv Power Systems. “Beyond the saved fuel and maintenance savings, the electric specialty vehicles support community outreach goals without the need for extended idling, a particular sensitivity when these vehicles are performing medical services including exposing visitors to diesel fume emissions when used in the context of lung screening. We couldn’t have asked for a better proof point for the shift to commercial EVs.”
Further illustrating the company’s commitment to healthy air, Winnebagoalso joined the American Lung Association as a Proud Partner. In an effort to increase awareness for clean air and lung health, Winnebago will feature the American Lung Association Proud Partner logo and SavedbytheScan.org information on select zero-emission vehicles and via the company’s digital networks.
“After successfully collaborating to launch the world’s first electric Mobile Lung Unit to provide preventive lung cancer screenings, we are pleased to take our initiatives for cleaner air a step further by becoming an American Lung Association Proud Partner,” said Ashis Bhattacharya, Vice President, Strategic Planning and Development, and leader of Winnebago Specialty Vehicles . “The American Lung Association is a trusted guardian of healthy lungs and we are looking forward to leveraging our all-electric, zero-emission vehicles to further promote the importance of improving the air quality in the communities our vehicles serve.”
Winnebago was awarded the Sustainability Award during The Revealopening ceremony at RVX on March 12. The all-electric chassis was on display and the ceremony streamed online to thousands of participants through GoRVing. Over 165 individual units submitted for The Reveal, with over 400 competing in all award categories combined.
Winnebago Industries, Inc. is a leading U.S. manufacturer of outdoor lifestyle products under the Winnebago, Grand Design and Chris-Craft brands, which are used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The Company builds quality motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheel products and boats. Winnebago Industries has multiple facilities in Iowa, Indiana, Oregon, Minnesota and Florida. – CNW
