Gateway Fleet Order Signals Shift in Electric Delivery Fleet

Workhorse Group’s 100-truck order from Gateway Fleets reflects a growing shift in commercial fleet electrification: operators are looking for more than vehicles alone. The agreement, made through Kingsburg Truck Center, will place Workhorse W56 electric step vans into Gateway’s expanding network of electrified fleet sites, with initial deployments expected in July 2026.

For delivery businesses, that timing matters. The trucks are expected to enter service ahead of the peak holiday shipping season, when route planning, uptime and cost control become central to daily operations. While electric commercial vehicles continue to face questions around infrastructure, financing and route suitability, Gateway’s model is built around reducing those hurdles.

Rather than asking fleet operators to manage vehicle procurement, charging access, site readiness and support separately, Gateway is packaging those needs into a lease-based structure. The approach gives delivery fleets access to electric step vans, depot charging and operational services without requiring the same upfront investment that can slow adoption.

Gateway currently operates depots in Southern California and plans to add locations as demand increases. Its model is aimed at fleets that want to test or scale electric delivery operations while keeping the transition tied to practical route economics.

Cost, Charging and Reliability Shape the Next Phase of Fleet Electrification

The order comes as delivery operators face pressure to manage fuel costs, prepare for tighter emissions expectations and reduce exposure to fossil fuel price volatility. For many fleets, the business case for electrification depends less on vehicle availability and more on whether the full operating model works.

Gateway has reported fuel cost savings of up to 65% on active delivery routes at its Riverside, California site, based on a year-long real-world case study that included electricity costs. Actual savings will vary by route profile, utility rates, utilization levels and charging strategy, but the result shows why bundled electric fleet models are gaining attention among commercial operators.

The Workhorse W56 step vans included in the order are standard wheelbase models equipped with a 210 kWh battery, 1,000 cubic feet of cargo space, 10,000 pounds of payload capacity and a nominal range of 150 miles per charge. Those specifications make the vehicle suited to last-mile delivery routes with predictable mileage and depot-based charging.

Workhorse builds the W56 at its Union City, Indiana facility, which the company says can produce more than 5,000 vehicles annually on a single operating shift. The company has delivered more than 1,100 vehicles to date, with those trucks logging more than 20 million real-world miles across customer fleets.

For Workhorse, Gateway Fleets and Kingsburg Truck Center, the 100-unit order is more than a sales milestone. It will test whether integrated electric fleet models can move beyond small pilots and become a repeatable option for delivery operators looking to electrify without taking on every part of the transition alone.