A new electric truck startup came out of stealth to announce its plan to bring its heavy-duty electric vehicle to market before the Tesla Semi hits in 2019. Thor Trucks prototype, the ET-One, is a “Frankenstein” built from parts cobbled together from other tractor-trailers. It has a range of 300 miles, a full load capacity of 80,000 pounds, and will eventually retail for $150,000. It is also working on a 100-mile-range version.

It seems that everyone from tiny startups to established OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) are taking a stab at battery-electric trucking these days. And Tesla made a big splash last month with its 400-mile-range Semi. But Thor Trucks thinks it can stand out by converting fossil fuel-burning trucks into battery-electric ones with its unique powertrain technology and in-house battery production. That said, the startup is realistic about its expectations, admitting it lacks the resources to build its own truck from scratch.

Thor co-founder Giordano Sordoni who suffered from asthma as a child, said he and his partner Dakota Semler were motivated to start a project that would be a “triple bottom line play” — something that would have a social impact, an environmental impact, and could be a sustainable business. Semler, who converted his mother’s SUV to run on vegetable oil, grew up around the trucking business; his family owned a fleet of 150 trucks based out of Riverside, California. An electric truck startup seemed like a perfect fit. “This checked all the boxes,” Sordoni said.

The chassis comes from a Navistar commercial truck. It uses heavy-duty Dana axles and an off-the-shelf motor from supplier TM4. They decided to build their own battery modules from cells and packs purchased from a vendor. “We don t want to literally reinvent the wheel,” Sordoni said. “We don t have a billion-dollar factory set up in Nevada.” This modest approach may serve them well in an industry wary of hype. Unlike the passenger vehicle market, fleet owners and delivery companies are motivated by cost savings and economies of scale. And there’s a lot of baked-in skepticism about electric vehicles, thanks to concerns about weight and the amount of time it takes to charge a vehicle. “We understand the thinking in the trucking industry, it is what it is,” Sordoni said.

Thor is tiny compared to its competition, with just 18 employees. Meanwhile, giants such as Cummins, Daimler, Bosch, Tesla, and Toyota are all working on their own green semi-trailers. Thor is trying to take advantage of the glut of EV talent in Los Angeles to build up a larger team, recently poaching engineers from Navistar, US Hybrid, and electric bus manufacturer BYD.

The ET-One is no static concept. The co-founders recently demonstrated its towing capacity in a short drive around LA, pulling around 60,000 pounds of cargo. And they hope to test the Class 8 load limit of 80,000 pounds soon. That said, Thor says it will build a scaled-down, medium duty truck, too, which will be good for short hauls between a port and an urban center.

“A lot of players are coming in the commercial EV industry, because it is a good time to get into it,” Sordoni said. “In comparison to other folks, I think what we are talking about is all super reasonable. We are not promising thousands of charging stations and millions of trucks. What we are offering is scaled down and realistic.”

Fully electric. Fully capable at 80,000 pounds. ET-One was built to haul 80,000 pounds with instant torque at zero RPM. It is a powerful tool designed to get the job done, stay on the road, and save operators money. Vehicle ranges up to 300 miles for short haul and regional tractors and trucks. Powertrain options range from 300-700 HP with full torque starting at 0 RPM. Built with Tier 1 components, the vehicle is designed for maximum uptime and low cost repairs. The zero emission powertrain faces no regulation from air quality regulators. Regenerative braking and onboard safety systems improve driver safety. Battery packs were designed for commercial vehicle environments with long, tough duty cycles.

The Thor Powertrain is the heart of every vehicle built. It is what gives the vehicle its unique driving characteristics and sets it apart from a conventional semi-truck. Gone is everything you knew about electric vehicles. Electric is powerful, electric is sexy, and electric is here to stay.Thor’s battery pack is designed specifically for commercial heavy-duty applications. The battery pack is comprised of the highest energy density lithium-ion cylindrical cells available. Thor is looking forward to new battery technologies that have potential to allow for rapid charging or longer ranges. We are ready to adapt to new technologies as they are commercially viable.

The ET-One was designed with the fleet-operator and truck driver in mind. Design choices were influenced by managers and drivers of fleets ranging 10 to 10,000 vehicles in size. Thor has done everything to understand the concerns of its customer and design a vehicle that integrates seamlessly with an existing fleet. Electrification leads to massive changes in a fleet’s cost structure. By saving fleets money on fuel, maintenance, and compliance, the ET-One increases profits on every route taken. The more you drive, the more you save.

Thor plans to make the ET-One more widely available for demonstration drives in 2018. The company is building additional prototypes and eyeing 2019 to begin production. Pricing will start at $150,000 for the 100-mile version and $250,000 for the 300-mile version, Semler said. State incentives for green technology could make the price affordable for motor carriers.

A similar diesel truck sells for $100,000 to $125,000 depending on the model and the number of vehicles purchased.

Telsa’s electric Semi will start at an “expected base price” of $150,000 for 300 miles of range. That jumps to $180,000 for 500 miles of range from a bigger battery.

Thor Trucks has attracted the interest of green trucking technology veterans.

“Thor Trucks is a very dedicated group of folks that are serious about being a player in this market,” said John Boesel, chief executive of the clean transportation nonprofit Calstart. “They’ve worked hard to develop a product that meets the needs of the fleets.”

Clean technology companies must enter the market ready to prove their technology rather than make bold claims, Boesel said. The industry has seen “green” companies fall short of promises many times.

Thor wants its technology to speak for itself, Semler said. Though Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk bragged about the Tesla Semi’s 5 second zero to 60 mph acceleration time when driving without a load, Semler hasn’t yet measured his truck on that score. It’s meaningless for truck drivers, he said

“There’s too much to get distracted by,” he said. “The only way to survive is to hyper-focus.”

Thor Trucks could operate at its current size “indefinitely,” Semler said. But the plan is to grow quickly. Thor is seeking dozens of engineers, technicians and designers, according to online listings.

“To be a player in this space, a company needs to be well capitalized,” Boesel said. “It’s impressive that Thor has been able to get to this point without government funding.”

Revenue generated by Semler’s personal businesses fund the truck company, a Thor spokesperson told Trucks.com. Semler founded Malibu Wine Safaris and multiple real estate companies.

In part, those companies are an outgrowth of the family’s property and wineries at Saddlerock Ranch, 360 acres in the Malibu hills.

Semler’s father, Ronald, inherited a machinery export company called Associated Industries and oversaw its rapid growth.

Though the company made him wealthy, he also landed in hot water. In 1987, authorities charged Ronald Semler and his brother, Monte Barry Semler, with using Associated Industries to illegally export helicopters to North Korea. Both brothers pleaded guilty in 1988 to reduced charges of conspiracy and tax law violations but under a plea bargain denied knowing that the aircraft were bound for North Korea. They were sentenced to prison and fined $40,000 each.

Ronald Semler was released in 1990, according to Bureau of Prisons records. Prohibited from working at Associated Industries again, he diversified. He started the winery, a mining business, an aviation business and trucking fleets.

Associated Industries is still in operation. It is housed in the same building as Thor Trucks, and signs outside the property bear Associated Industries branding. The two companies have separate leases and Ronald Semler is not associated with Thor Trucks, the spokesperson said.

As Thor Trucks continues to grow, the company will look to attract outside investment — probably sometime in 2018, Semler said.

Thor needs to move quickly to take advantage of the market for green trucks that California environmental regulators are fostering.

“It’s inevitable the state mandates zero-emission technology,” said Mike Britt, a consultant and the former chief of alternative fuels for UPS.

“Being close to that legislative activity will give Thor an opportunity to collect data on the street,” Britt said. “If it goes to zero-tailpipe emissions in 2021 or 2022, folks are going to need solutions way before then.”

As fleets are forced to adapt to tightening emissions rules, Thor believes its truck will gain the attention of fleet customers.

“They don’t want science projects,” Sordoni said. “Electric addresses the cost of fuel, maintenance and compliance all in one fell swoop.”

Inside the Thor Truck offices, a team of engineers works at computer monitors in an open floor plan. Semler and Sordoni have offices but leave the doors open. They call the corporate structure “non-hierarchichal.”

“Everyone is everything,” Sordoni said. On the warehouse floor, past the ping-pong table and an electric 1917 Walker Electric Truck that Semler bought at auction, the ET-One sits alone on the concrete floor. Its roof fairing is removable and will be optional. The batteries are mounted under side skirts that open to allow for easy replacing. Wide “super single” tires, wheel covers and other aerodynamic features improve efficiency.

Doran, the electromechanical engineer, and his team prepare the truck for a test drive. He left a career at US Hybrid to join Thor Trucks after one meeting.

“I know people were doubting,” Doran said. “But we’re doing it in an affordable way that doesn’t rely on government subsidies.”

Semler drove the ET-One just north of the office to a trucking depot yard to shoot photographs. A security guard checked the truck for proper permits, then pulled out his phone to snap pictures.

Soon, other truck drivers arrived on the scene. They bombarded Semler and Sordoni with questions:

“How long to charge?” 90 minutes. “How much range?” Between 100 and 300 miles, fully loaded. “How much horsepower?” Thor won’t say.

Semler hopped onto the chassis to point out components. Sordoni answered some of the questions in Spanish. The guard shooed people away when their parked cars formed a traffic jam.

Dakota Semler, Founder and CEO of Thor Trucks speaks to interested truck drivers. As the group turned to leave, one driver flagged Sordoni down and handed him a business card. “If you ever need any drivers, you can call me,” he said.

Sordoni accepted the card and thanked the man. “Who says truck drivers won’t go electric?”



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