Orange EV Powering Kansas Drive to a Sustainable Transportation Future

As yard truck vehicles charge into an electric future, Kansas-based Orange EV is out front in producing more of the heavy-duty trucks than any other manufacturer.

These industrial trucks — also known as yard trucks — are essential pieces of heavy equipment that ease the job of moving trailers and containers in cargo yards, warehouse facilities and intermodal facilities.

Orange EV is committed to building zero-emission yard trucks that are better for the environment and a business’ bottom line. The company’s electric trucks provide significant fuel savings over diesel yard trucks. Since they can be charged on site, electric trucks are more efficient in reducing downtime otherwise needed for fueling. Orange EV’s zero-emission trucks also are smoother and quieter to operate.

Since 2012, Orange EV has been growing its operations to meet surging needs for pure-electric yard trucks. The company commercially deployed its first pure-electric heavy-duty (HD) yard truck in 2015 and now has more than 1,000 HD electric trucks deployed in 36 states across the United States.

A major step forward for Orange EV included the recent ribbon cutting on a new 440,000-square-foot, $37 million facility in Kansas City, Kansas, which is bringing 185 new skilled manufacturing jobs to the region. The new facility can produce more than 200 trucks per month.

Orange EV sought a larger facility in the Kansas City region to grow while remaining close to its current operation in Riverside, Missouri. They found a place that met their specifications for manufacturing and assembly needs, along with an expanded office area, in the Turner Logistics Center in Kansas City, Kansas.  

The Kansas City region boasts one of the fastest-growing tech markets in the nation. Its nucleus of engineering, technology and automotive manufacturing expertise, combined with a strong talent pipeline and cutting-edge training programs, make it an ideal location for forward-thinking companies such as Orange EV. At the same time, the transition to electric vehicles has more and more companies looking to Kansas as a place to locate and grow.

Orange EV’s production of electric yard trucks fits two of the Kansas Framework for Growth target sectors – advanced manufacturing and innovation. The Kansas Department of Commerce offered Orange EV key incentive programs such as withholding tax refunds, workforce training, income tax credits and sales tax exemptions that helped the business reduce the cost of occupying its new Kansas City facility.

In the midst of historic economic growth since Governor Laura Kelly took office in 2019, Kansas has supercharged efforts to grow its EV advanced manufacturing ecosystem — with another prime example coming in the state’s biggest economic development project ever: Panasonic Energy’s new battery production plant, a $4 billion investment creating 4,000 jobs and significant spin-off business opportunities in the region.