Manufacturer unveils the Lion8 Tractor — the state-of-the-art all-electric big rig with a major EV advantage

During the recent Advanced Clean Transportation Expo, a showcase of the world's newest electric vehicle and clean fuel technology, Canadian commercial vehicle manufacturer the Lion Electric Company unveiled its new all-electric Class 8 commercial truck called the Lion8 Tractor, CleanTechnica reported.

The Lion8 Tractor is expected to be commercially available in mid-2024 and is "meticulously designed for both power and endurance," per CleanTechnica. It will have a range of up to 275 miles.

"The Lion8 Tractor embodies our commitment to pushing the boundaries of possibility in modern freight transportation," CEO-Founder of Lion Marc Bedard said in a press release. "We are thrilled to introduce a vehicle that not only meets but surpasses the rigorous demands of today's transportation needs as it sets a new standard in the EV truck market, combining performance, efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Our purpose-built electric vehicles stand as the cornerstone of our vision for a sustainable future."

Though electric cars have grown more widespread in recent years as consumers have gravitated toward options that, on balance, produce far less planet-overheating air pollution than traditional gas-powered cars, electric semi trucks are still in an earlier stage of development and adoption.

Though Tesla has managed to produce a small batch of electric semis and delivered some of them to PepsiCo, the vast majority of the semi trucks on the road currently are massively polluting diesel-powered trucks.

According to TruckLabs, "Class 8 trucks are responsible for about a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the U.S. transportation sector [which] amounts to over 400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted each year."

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That makes the unveiling of new all-electric Class 8 semis like the Lion8 Tractor a very welcome development.

"Looks good, seems Canadian," wrote one commenter.

Another was concerned about the truck's timing in relation to its ability to earn a market share: "It would have been nice if Tesla had gotten on the stick a little sooner with the Semi. They're now in the very early phase of construction of a factory to build them."

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