Viridi Parente Partners with Garia to Bring Last Mile, Low-Speed Electric Utility Vehicles to the United States

Strategic partnership to create Green Machine Equipment-branded, zero-emission vehicles for use in dense, urban areas, and corporate campuses

BUFFALO, New York – Viridi Parente, Inc., a developer of innovative battery technology that can be safely installed and operated in nearly any environment or location, is partnering with Garia Utility, the Denmark-based leader in low-speed utility vehicles, to develop last-mile, low-speed electric utility vehicles for the U.S. market. These vehicles will be manufactured in Buffalo, New York, and branded under the Green Machine Equipment name.

“If we are going to have any impact on decarbonization, we need to rethink our supply chain strategies and equipment options, especially for last-mile delivery,” said Jon M. Williams, CEO of Viridi Parente. “Green Machine couldn’t ask for a better partner to introduce clean utility vehicles into the U.S. than Garia. Its proven technology is already deployed throughout Europe, and the compact design is ideally suited for use in dense, urban areas in the U.S.”

Garia chose to partner with Green Machine because of its proprietary, durable, and safe battery technology that is being used by leading construction brands such as Bobcat and Case. Green Machine was the first manufacturer to introduce all-electric heavy construction and industrial equipment into the market and has perfected the technology with more than 250,000 hours of robust field testing.

Garia Utility has over 900 last-mile vehicles deployed on delivery routes in Sweden through a contract with PostNord (the Swedish Postal Service). The combination of Green Machine’s propriety technology and Garia’s know-how in the last-mile vehicle space creates a superb clean vehicle that replaces standard diesel or gasoline-powered utility vehicles. For U.S. markets, Green Machine battery technology will increase the range and adaptability of the vehicle.

“After evaluating many potential partners, Viridi Parente was the obvious choice,” said Jakob Holstein, CEO of Garia. “Not only did they have the best technology for our needs, but their technology had the most field experience. We were also aligned well on leadership and values.”

Green Machine’s electric utility vehicles are unlike anything currently available in the U.S. The compact design allows users to access narrow spaces such as constricted roadways, tight alleys, or compressed park or campus pathways. In addition to the traditional model, Green Machine has installed its technology into a right-hand-drive chassis from Garia that squarely fits any delivery needs.

Still dominated by fossil-fuel-powered trucks and vehicles, the supply chain remains a significant source of greenhouse gasses. In New York, transportation accounts for about 36% of the state’s carbon emissions. While the nation’s reliance on an efficient, reliable supply chain increases, so does the desire to transition long-haul and last-mile delivery to zero-emission vehicle options. McKinsey forecasts that the number of electric utility vehicles will grow from just 5,000 in 2018 to more than 8 million by 2030.