Electric vehicle pioneer Tom Gage has partnered with The Hybrid Shop (THS) to lead the company’s expansion into the commercial EV market.

Gage addressed THS dealer principals recently at the company’s annual dealer meeting. The commercial vehicle market is the next logical step in the commercialization of fully electric drivetrains, Gage said at the meeting.

“Battery cost reduction and increasing reliability and range mean that operating cost benefits will soon make electric trucks irresistible to commercial fleet managers,” he said.

Based in Torrance, CA, THS specializes in remanufacturing nickel–metal hydride batteries. The company goes to market through retail franchisees, providing dealers with high-voltage proportioning training, diagnostic equipment, marketing support and replacement battery packs for hybrid vehicles. As the commercial market develops, the company has plans in place to ramp-up efforts to build out a commercial network of dealers to service this segment.

Gage has been commercializing electric vehicles since 1995, when he joined AC Propulsion and began helping major automakers — including BMW, Tesla, Volkswagen, Yukon, Nissan, Foton, Volvo and Toyota — with electric vehicle development. In 2012, he founded EV Grid, which works with automotive OEMs, fleets, and site operators to develop and supply technology for grid-tied, mobile and stationary battery systems.