Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer The Lion Electric Co. (Lion) has partnered with New Jersey-based truck dealer H.K. Truck Center to distribute, sell, and service Lion’s complete lineup of zero-emission buses and trucks in the state.

Located in South Plainfield and Parsippany, N.J., H.K. Truck Center offers new and used commercial medium duty truck sales, service, and repair; a dedicated OEM parts department; and truck rental and leasing opportunities.

Under the agreement, H.K. Truck Center will serve as the regional dealer for Lion’s heavy-duty battery-electric vehicles, including its class 5 to class 8 heavy-duty truck offerings, as well as the LionA, LionC, LionD, and LionM bus models, according to a news release from Lion. The manufacturer’s heavy-duty zero-emission trucks are available in a variety of configurations, including straight truck, tractor, reefer, bucket, and refuse trucks, and can reportedly travel up to 250 miles on a single charge. Lion will also provide H.K. Truck Center’s technicians with service training for its vehicles.

“From the beginning of the relationship, it was clear to us that the H.K. team shared the same core values as the team here at Lion,” said Marc-Andre Page, Lion’s vice president of commercial operations. “Moreover, their approach, centered around customer satisfaction, really stood out as we were evaluating potential top-tier partners to support our electric truck and bus deployments in New Jersey.”

The move marks Lion’s expansion into the New Jersey market and furthers the company’s commitment in expanding zero-emission transit throughout the Northeast, in addition to its existing Lion Experience Center in Albany, N.Y. The company's presence in the market also allows New Jersey school districts, transit agencies, municipalities, and private freight organizations to have access for the first time to Lion’s fleet of electric trucks, school buses, and transit buses, according to the EV manufacturer.

"I am excited to begin this new relationship between H.K. Truck Center and Lion Electric. This partnership expands our product line into the class 8 and bus market,” said Henry Knabe, sales and leasing manager at H.K. Truck Center. “We look forward to working with a new market of customers who will lead the way into reducing greenhouse gases with all-electric transportation solutions.”

Over the last decade, Lion has delivered over 300 electric school buses in the U.S. and Canada with over 6 million miles driven since 2016. All of Lion’s vehicles are manufactured at the company’s facility in Canada.