Penske Truck Leasing said Monday it has ordered 750 units of Ford Motor Co.'s E-Transit battery-electric van.
The order marks anther large customer purchase of the all-electric cargo van after Ford said ahead of the vehicle's February launch that retail giant Walmart Inc. had ordered 1,100 units.
Penske, which piloted the E-Transit late last year, said it expects to take delivery of the first "several" vehicles in the order within the next several weeks. The company's first E-Transits will be available in southern California, with other locations in the U.S. slated to be phased in later this year.
The leasing company — a subsidiary of Reading, Pa.-based Penske Transportation Solutions — said this marks the first time light-duty electric trucks will be available in its rental and leasing fleet.
"We're excited to help bring these new vehicles to market as both a rental and full-service lease option for our customers," Art Vallely, president of Penske Truck Leasing, said in a statement. "We continue to expand and diversify our fleet of electric vehicles and to offer new options for customers seeking more sustainable choices when it comes to transportation."
Ford began shipping the E-Transit from its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri in February. Ahead of the vehicle's launch, the automaker said it had more than 10,000 orders from 300 customers of varying sizes, including Walmart.
E-Transit — which has a battery range of about 126 miles on a single charge — is Ford's second all-electric vehicle, following the Mustang Mach-E. The F-150 Lightning, a battery-electric version of America's best-selling truck, is slated to launch next week.
Penske said it plans to add more E-Transits to its fleet in the future.
