Ind. Navistar plant turns out first medium-duty EStar electric trucks

Ind. Navistar plant turns out 1st electric trucks

WAKARUSA, Ind. — An Elkhart County assembly line has begun turning out Navistar e-Star electric trucks that can travel 100 miles on a single charge.

Navistar says the all-electric eStar medium-duty commercial truck being turned out in Wakarusa has batteries can be replaced in about 20 minutes and recharged in six to eight hours.

FedEx is the first company to purchase the trucks and will operate them in the Los Angeles area.

The plant is about 15 miles southeast of South Bend. It’s expected to produce 400 vehicles this year and several thousand yearly after that.

The company says it’s expected to create about 700 jobs nationwide, including some at suppliers. Navistar got a $39 million federal stimulus grant for the project.