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At the 2024 Everything Electric Canada event in Vancouver, Sandy Munro reunited with Chase Barber of Edison Motors to catch up on one of the most talked-about projects from the previous year: the Edison electric logging truck. This rugged, retrofit-based electric vehicle was a crowd favorite in 2023. Since then, its progress has captured the attention of EV enthusiasts, automotive engineers, and green tech investors alike. In fact, in this year’s update, Chase reveals that the Edison truck is no longer a prototype. Remarkably, it’s now licensed, fully operational, and already hauling logs across British Columbia.
Edison’s bold approach—converting classic heavy-duty trucks into electric workhorses—is, in many ways, reshaping how we think about commercial vehicle electrification. Behind this transformation lies a story of perseverance marked by technical complexity and fueled by lean manufacturing ingenuity.
From Prototype to Workhorse: One Year of Progress
When the team at Munro first showcased the Edison truck in 2023, the buzz was electric—literally and figuratively. At the time, the vehicle was functional but not yet road-ready. Fast forward a year, and Chase proudly announces that the truck now sports a license plate and is out doing real work in the logging industry. “We’ve had her out working, hauling logs,” Chase says. “She’s moving loads and hauling some of our own stuff around.”
While building the truck was a challenge, Chase emphasizes that programming and systems integration proved even more demanding. “Turns out just getting it running is hard,” he laughs. “But doing all the programming and making it run well is way harder.” This comment underscores a truth familiar to automotive engineers: mechanical innovation must be paired with equally robust software development to bring electric vehicles to life.
Lean Manufacturing Meets Heavy-Duty Electric Retrofit
Edison Motors isn’t just designing new electric trucks. Rather, they’re reengineering old ones with a fresh perspective. Instead of building from scratch, the team focuses on retrofitting existing semi truck platforms. As Chase explains, “You can retro like a semi truck hasn’t changed in sixty years. I can take a Peterbilt cab, a Kenworth cab, drop it onto a new set of frame rails and chassis, and send it out the door.”
This modular, lean approach drastically reduces development costs and certification hurdles. That’s critical, especially as the team navigates Canada’s CMVSS (Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) process—an arduous, paperwork-heavy journey that many startups fail to survive. Chase is candid: “It’s a lot of paperwork. That’s where serious money has to be spent to make sure you’re certified.”
The Ship of Theseus Problem—and How Edison Solves It
A particularly amusing but insightful moment in the interview comes when Chase and Sandy joke about the philosophical “Ship of Theseus” dilemma. If you replace enough parts on a truck, at what point is it no longer the same truck?
Chase answers practically. “We put in a new half-inch frame rail, new cross members, new air ride suspension, new motor, new axles, new drive. I don’t know—at what point is it the truck of Theseus?” Sandy replies, “Usually at 75%,” referring to an unofficial threshold where a product starts to be considered ‘new’ in the eyes of regulators and insurance.
For Edison, staying under that threshold strategically avoids additional certification costs. By retrofitting and replacing less than 75% of the original vehicle, they can continue operating under existing VINs and classifications while still delivering modern electric performance.
Why This Matters: Filling a Critical Void in the Market
In recent years, heavy-duty vocational trucks like the Western Star 6900XD have been discontinued. Furthermore, even Freightliner has moved major manufacturing operations to Mexico. This has created a vacuum in North America’s vocational truck market—particularly for high-torque, off-road-capable work trucks in forestry, construction, and mining. Chase notes, “No one’s building these anymore.”
Edison Motors is stepping into that gap with a uniquely Canadian solution—built for Canada, by Canadians. Moreover, they’re not just building one truck. Chase confirms that multiple trucks are now in development, thereby extending Edison’s platform to a broader range of users and applications.
Funding the Future: Edison’s Call for Investors
Of course, scaling this vision requires capital. “We need 50 million,” Chase says plainly. While he’s the technical lead and truck expert, his business partner Eric—who handles the financial side—is the point of contact for potential investors.
Sandy encourages viewers and investors alike to reach out, noting that “this is a great area to sell trucks.” With Western manufacturers pulling out and regulatory support for clean tech growing, Edison is well-positioned to become a niche—but vital—player in the future of vocational electric transport.
Edison Electric Truck Update: Key Takeaways
- Retrofit Models Can Compete: Edison’s success illustrates how retrofitted commercial EVs can bypass some cost and certification barriers that plague ground-up designs.
- CMVSS Challenges Are Real: Engineers and entrepreneurs alike must budget significant time and resources to navigate certification in Canada or the U.S.
- Lean Design Yields Flexibility: Using modular, proven platforms like Kenworth or Peterbilt cabs allows for faster development cycles and compatibility with known supply chains.
- Market Gaps Are Opportunities: With OEMs abandoning heavy-duty vocational segments, startups like Edison have a clear niche to fill.
- Software Is Half the Battle: Don’t underestimate the complexity of drive programming and system integration in EVs.
Get the Latest Insights from Munro
Are you an investor looking to fund the next big breakthrough in electric work trucks? Are you an engineer passionate about lean design and sustainable powertrains? Edison Motors is a Canadian startup doing the hard work to electrify the vocational trucking sector—one retrofit at a time.
Watch the full interview with Chase Barber on Munro Live to see the Edison truck in action. Additionally, you can learn how you can support their next phase of growth. And keep it on Munro & Associates for more teardown insights, EV reviews, and engineering deep dives into the future of mobility.
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