Lightning eMotors has announced that its Class 3 Lightning ZEV3 all-electric passenger van is Buy America certified. This certification, along with Lightning eMotors’s Altoona Testing certification, makes the Lightning ZEV3 fully eligible for funding through the $4 billion Federal Transit Administration Low- and No-Emissions grant program, and positions Lightning’s products for other incentives such as the Federal Aviation Administration’s zero-emission airport shuttle program (Buy American).

To access this funding, which includes $1 billion in 2023, zero- or low-emission transit vehicles must be both Buy America certified and pass Altoona Testing to be eligible for purchase or lease using these FTA funds.

According to the company, both the Lightning ZEV3 two- and three-battery passenger vans achieved Buy America Certification, which requires the cost of the components and subcomponents produced in the U.S. to be more than 70% of the total cost to manufacture the vehicle. Research from Lightning eMotors found that the verification showed that over 80% of the manufacturing cost of ZEV3 models in both battery configurations came from American materials, the company says.

Currently in use within fleets across North America for micro-transit and shuttle services, the Lightning ZEV3 passenger van is equipped with an all-electric drivetrain and is powered by thermally-managed batteries. Lightning eMotors’s ZEV3 passenger van boasts up to 200 miles of range and comes standard with both Level 2 AC charging and DC Fast Charge capabilities. The first Lightning ZEV3 was deployed in 2018. To date, over 300 Lightning ZEV3 vans have been fielded accumulating over 1.8 million real-world miles, the company notes.