Daimler Truck announced Rizon, a new medium-duty electric truck brand for the U.S., in a media briefing on Thursday. Rizon will offer Class 4 and 5 truck models with production starting in the third quarter of 2023.

Rizon will offer three model variants — the e16M, e16L, and e18L. 

At 15,995 lbs. GVWR, the e16M has two battery packs and a usable energy of 82/74 kWh for an estimated range of 75 to 110 miles. With the same GVWR, the e16L has three battery packs and usable energy of 124/116 kWh, for a range of 115 to 160 miles, according to Daimler estimates. 

At 17,995 lbs. GVWR, the e18L has three battery packs, a usable energy of 124/116 kWh, and an estimated range of 110 to 150 miles. 

The trucks are Level 2 AC Charging (J1772) and DC Fast Charging CCS1 compliant. 

The Rizon brand’s warranty package protects the powertrain, chassis, and cab for five years or 75,000 miles and the batteries for five years or 120,000 miles.

Starting in the fourth quarter, the trucks will be sold and serviced through Velocity Vehicle Group, a commercial truck dealership with sales and service facilities in California, Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama, and Kentucky, along with Australia and Mexico. Velocity sells 14 truck brands, including Daimler’s Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses brands. 

The trucks would fit a variety of applications such as dry vans, flatbeds, landscape dumps, and reefers, according to Rizon. The company said it would target customers involved in urban retail logistics, last-mile deliveries, and municipal work.

The Rizon brand will complement Daimler’s existing electric truck line, the medium-duty Freightliner eM2, and Freightliner eCascadia Class 8 tractor.

Electric Cabover Competition

With a cabover design, the Rizon models will compete with Isuzu Motors and Hino Motors. 

Isuzu introduced its first all-electric production model, the Class 5 N-Series EV, at the 2023 NTEA Work Truck Week in March. The N-Series EV is scheduled for distribution in the first half of 2024. 

At the same event, Hino unveiled new electric versions of its M- and L- Series medium-duty trucks. The Hino Class 5 M5e cabover and Class 6 L6e conventional mode will be available in 2024. 

Sales of electric trucks in California should heat up in 2024 when Advanced Clean Truck mandates start to kick in, which requires manufacturers to ramp up sales of electric trucks.