Charged Fleet Logo

Perrone Robotics, Tropos Technologies to Develop Autonomous Electric Compact Utility Vehicles

The collaboration will provide scalable, cleantech options across industrial, cargo, and emergency response sectors.

August 17, 2021
Perrone Robotics, Tropos Technologies to Develop Autonomous Electric Compact Utility Vehicles

The collaboration will provide scalable, cleantech options across industrial, cargo, and emergency response sectors.

Photo: Perrone Robotics

2 min to read


Perrone Robotics, a provider of fully autonomous vehicle technology and vehicle solutions for the mobility of people and things, and Tropos Motors, a cleantech compact electric vehicle manufacturer and supplier, announced Aug 17 a partnership to produce a series of fully autonomous, electric low speed vehicles and trucks.

The new vehicle platform will combine Perrone's Tony (short for "To Navigate You") autonomous vehicle retrofit kit that embeds into any vehicle type for any job, with Tropos Motors' full line of all-electric, street-legal vehicles, including the Tropos Motors Able full line of durable, versatile, and available electric commercial utility vehicles. The result is a compact utility autonomous vehicle solution that works across a wide range of industries including – cargo, delivery, agricultural, industrial, municipal, and campus transportation applications. Future platforms in development will include a series of emergency and first-responder solutions that will be available later this year.

Ad Loading...

Perrone's Tony autonomous vehicle retrofit kit will pair with the Tropos electric vehicle platform to offer mobility solutions including last-mile delivery of products and food, various trades, and utility uses, as well as off-highway and on-campus usage.

Tropos vehicles can operate in extremely tight quarters with a short wheelbase and turning radius for indoors, outdoors, and off-road. This operability opens up new channels to deploy and extend across various applications. Perrone's autonomy provides a scalable solution built around a patented full-stack platform and a safety certifiable framework. The result is an autonomous vehicle retrofit kit that integrates into any vehicle for any job application for use in the autonomous transit of people and goods in geo-fenced and localized operations. Customers are able to accelerate the global deployment of autonomous vehicle fleet solutions across their gas-powered, diesel, and electric passenger and cargo shuttles.

The partnership will include the delivery of Perrone's reliable core Tony autonomous vehicle driverless system, the licensing of software, and the provision of related services.

Originally posted on Work Truck Online

More Electric Vehicles

White Rivian R1S SUV customized as the Ghostbusters Ecto-R1, featuring the Ghostbusters logo, red accents, roof-mounted equipment, and emergency-style lights.
Electric Vehicles•October 12, 2026

Who You Gonna Call? Rivian Turns Electric Vehicles Into Ghostbusters Rides

Rivian teams up with Sony Pictures for a Ghostbusters-inspired Halloween software update, complete with custom sounds, lighting effects, and a special Ecto-R1.

Read More →
Einride cabless autonomous electric truck operating outside an EASE Logistics warehouse in Marysville, Ohio.

Einride Electric Driverless Trucks Begin Daily Freight Operations in Ohio

Two cabless electric trucks are now moving freight between EASE Logistics facilities, putting autonomous EV technology into daily commercial operations.

Read More →
A FedEx truck driving on the road
Electric Vehicles•by News/Media Release•October 1, 2026

FedEx Orders 2,000 Harbinger Electric Trucks in $300 Million Deal

The Class 5 and 6 electric trucks are planned for delivery by the end of 2027 and will be deployed in FedEx pickup and delivery operations across the U.S. and Canada.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Three Volvo leaders stand in front of a turquoise Volva truck
Electric Vehicles•by News/Media Release•September 23, 2026

Volvo Trucks’ Electric Range Named International Truck of the Year 2027

The award recognizes Volvo’s global heavy-duty electric lineup, while more than 750 VNR Electric trucks have accumulated nearly 37 million miles in U.S. and Canadian fleet operations.

Read More →
An electric truck is hooked upat a depot at night
Electric Vehicles•by Lauren Fletcher•September 21, 2026

How Republic Services Decides Where Its Next Electric Trucks Can Go

With 250 electric collection trucks now in service, Republic Services is learning that scaling electrification depends less on proving the vehicle and more on whether each site can support what comes next.

Read More →
A Charged Fleet graphic with a transparent rear-view background of a chargin Tesla
Electric Vehicles•by Faith Howell•September 16, 2026

EV Charging Use Is Outpacing Infrastructure Growth

ChargePoint’s 2026 Charging Forward Report points to rising charger use, higher-powered charging, commercial vehicle electrification, and energy-management technology. Here’s what fleets should know.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Mark Holland headshot for 2026 leadership update
Electric Vehicles•by News/Media Release•September 10, 2026

EV Realty Names Henrik Holland President as Charging Platform Expands

The former Prologis Mobility and Shell executive will help expand EV Realty’s truck charging business and move its power-first infrastructure model into autonomous vehicle depots and other fleet sectors.

Read More →
Three GreenPower Type A Nano BEAST electric school buses.
Electric Vehicles•by Elora Haynes•September 9, 2026

GreenPower Expands New Mexico EV Pilot With Larger Buses, V2G Testing

After logging more than 17,000 electric miles in the first year, New Mexico’s statewide pilot is moving into its second phase with larger vehicles, continued charging evaluations, and more.

Read More →
A black, white, and yellow Charged Fleet podcast logo with text over top
Electric Vehicles•September 4, 2026

Can EV-as-a-Service Help Fleets Scale Electrification?

Sustainability Partners CEO Adam Cain explains how matching EVs, charging infrastructure, and duty cycles can help fleets scale electrification.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration of an electric fleet vehicle connected to a charging station with the text “Electric Vehicles... As a Service?”
Electric Vehicles•September 1, 2026

How EV-as-a-Service Is Moving Fleets Beyond Pilots

Adam Cain, president and CEO of Sustainability Partners, explains how EV-as-a-service can help fleets scale deployments by addressing duty-cycle requirements and charging challenges. 

Read More →