Xos and Winnebago partner and develop an all-electric chassis for custom-built specialty vehicles

Commercial EV manufacturer Xos, Inc. has partnered with renowned lifestyle vehicle expert Winnebago to electrify the commercial segment further. Together, the companies have developed a fully electric chassis to support Winnebago’s specialty vehicle division, which currently offers custom builds of Class C RVs and Class A EV buses for several use cases.

Xos, Inc. ($XOS) remains an up-and-coming commercial EV startup based in Southern California specializing in Class 5 to 8 trucks, electric power trains, and proprietary fleet management software called “Xosphere.”

To date, its EVs have seen purchases from last-mile delivery behemoths like FedEx Ground and Penske and armored EVs for Loomis. On the other side of the commercial vehicle sector lies Winnebago ($WGO) – a household name in recreational and purpose-built vehicles evolving toward an all-electric future in its own right.

Today, Winnebago announced it has partnered with Xos to utilize its commercial EV hardware and software know-how to push its all-electric lineup further.

Winnebago and Xos are developing Class A EVs

Winnebago shared details of its new EV-centric partnership with Xos today, specifically catering to the former’s specialty vehicles division. More specifically, Class A custom builds. The specialty division has operated for over 50 years and has offered EV options since 2018.

To extend the performance and holistic operations of its custom-built commercial EVs, Winnebago is working with Xos to integrate a specialized chassis built using the latter’s SV platform technology, which the company says will enable quick scalability and dependable access to parts.

Additionally, future Winnebago builds using the Xos chassis will also be compatible with the startup’s Xosphere fleet management software, providing end-to-end customer support and continuous software improvements over the air. Xos co-founder and CEO Dakota Semler spoke to the new partnership with a name like Winnebago:

We are thrilled to partner with Winnebago to move the industry forward. This is a testament to the quality and reliability of our products, and to the customer-centered design approach of Winnebago’s Specialty Vehicle team. This partnership combines the strengths of both companies and positively impacts the communities these vehicles serve.

Winnebago’s specialty vehicle division shared that use cases for the new EV chassis include but are not limited to mobile child advocacy centers, medical and dental clinics, blood donation vehicles, and mobile command vehicles. The chassis will integrate seamlessly with Winnebago’s existing commercial EV shells, available in 33- and 38-foot lengths.

The estimated range of the new Winnebago EV models is expected to be up to 200 miles on a single charge. Robert Kim, director of Winnebago’s Specialty Vehicles division, shared his thoughts:

We constantly seek new ways to enhance our customers’ mission, and our partnership with Xos is an important next step in our efforts. The near-term demand for zero-emission vehicle options from our Specialty Vehicle division continues to grow and we look forward to extending our leadership position using an Xos chassis designed to integrate seamlessly into our manufacturing processes.