The Navistar eStar vans, which produce zero emissions, will be used to serve UniFirst customers in Stratford and Chicago.
UniFirst Communications director Adam Soreff said Stratford and Chicago were selected for testing because such densely populated areas with their many thousands of cars and trucks offer the biggest opportunity to make real and significant reductions in carbon emissions and pollution.
Designed by Navistar, the eStar vans can handle a 4000 pound load and go for about 100 miles on a single charge.
Navistar Electric Vehicles Sales and Marketing vice president Mark Aubry said the vans can be fully recharged in eight hours.
"Unlike other electric vans that are reconfigured models of fossil-fuel trucks, the eStar van has been purpose-built for electric power and operational safety," Aubry said.
