GF Blue logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Lion5 Medium-Duty Electric Truck Unveiled

Lion Electric's newest offering has a maximum payload of up to 12,500 lbs. and is slated for production before year-end.

Lion5 Medium-Duty Electric Truck Unveiled

The Lion5 has electronic stability control, traction control, hill start assist, and a limited slip differential.

Photo: Lion Electric

3 min to read


The Lion Electric Company, a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, announced the launch of the Lion5, an all-electric Class 5 truck powered by LionBattery packs, Lion’s new in-house engineered and manufactured 800V battery packs.

The official unveiling took place during the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, one of the largest conference and trade shows highlighting the most advanced transportation technologies and clean fuels available in the marketplace today. Watch the video below to see Lion Electric's official unveiling of the Lion5.

Ad Loading...

On the show floor, Lion premiered its first-ever Lion5, which has a maximum payload of up to 12,500 lbs. and is slated for production before year-end.

“At Lion we’ve always believed in finding a better way to serve fleets and benefit the environment and the Lion5 is our most recent example of this yet. The design and performance of this innovative all-electric truck is sure to redefine how our customers answer their commercial fleet needs,” Lion Electric’s Chief Commercial Officer Brian Piern said. “It is because of the success of the Lion6 that we are able to introduce today our next generation platform, the Lion5, the premier vehicle for last mile delivery and more, featuring the first application of LionBattery, our in-house designed and manufactured battery packs.”

Lion5 Ready to Serve the Market

From the cab design to the electrical architecture to the chassis technology, the Lion5 is uniquely positioned to serve the electric vehicle (EV) market. The new all-electric commercial truck cab chassis has design features desired in GVWR Class 5, while offering configurations of 19,500 lbs. up through 26,000 lbs. (Class 6) GVWR. Whether requiring payload capacity, towing capability, or both, the Lion5 harnesses:

  • 315 HP.

  • 2,360 lb-ft of torque.

  • Can be equipped with a GCWR up to 30,000 lbs.

The ride and handling performance are derived from the Lion5’s low center of gravity, well-balanced weight distribution front-to-back with the low cab forward (LCF) design, and the LionBattery pack's placement, as well as from the adaptive auto leveling 4-wheel independent suspension system standard equipped on select model variants.

Ad Loading...

For added safety and traction management, the Lion5 has electronic stability control (ESC), traction control, hill start assist, and a limited slip differential.

At the front, the Lion5’s cab provides considerable roominess, at 96 in. wide, and has been purposefully designed to be stationary with a cutaway configuration option enabling seamless passthrough between the cab and any suitable body upfit. When it comes to exiting the vehicle, Lion engineered the steps to form into the cab for immediate visibility from the driver’s or passenger’s seat when their respective door is open.

Adding to the safety and ease of entering and exiting, the adaptive independent suspension variants have a programmable feature that lowers the vehicle 3 in. when opening the door.

The Lion5 has been engineered to be upfit with any suitable body application. Body builders have access to 4kW of low voltage and up to 32kW of high voltage when equipped with the optional provisioned electric Power Take-Off (ePTO) interface. For additional flexibility, upfitters can choose from multiple LionBattery pack placement configurations, depending on build specification selections.

Powering the Lion5 with a LionBattery

First installed on the Lion5, the LionBattery is an 800v proprietary battery system comprised of a battery management system (BMS), a battery thermal management system (BTMS), as well as battery modules and packs. The LionBattery has been specifically designed to optimize performance, integration, and packaging throughout Lion’s complete portfolio of commercial trucks and buses. In the Lion5, it will deliver a range of up to 200 miles, while having the capability to be charged to 80% in 1.5 hours.

More Vehicle Research

Cover of a whitepaper titled “The Hidden Costs of Departmentally Assigned Vehicles on Your Fleet” featuring a black fleet vehicle driving on a road at sunset. Subheadline reads: “Discover how your fleet can reduce costs and minimize risk by implementing vehicle sharing.” The document focuses on fleet optimization, vehicle sharing, cost reduction, utilization tracking, and risk management for fleet operations.
SponsoredMay 13, 2026

The Fleet Efficiency Gap: Where Budgets, Utilization & Risk Collide

Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This whitepaper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.

Read More →
Graphic for Government Fleet’s March 2026 Recall Roundup showing a white SUV and bold text reading “RECALL ROUNDUP” with a red tag labeled “April 2026” on a concrete background.

April 2026 Recall Roundup: Chrysler, Lucid, & More

Are any of the vehicles in your fleet recalled? Check out the latest recalls of popular government fleet vehicles and equipment.

Read More →
Red Morgan Olson Kestrel fire response truck parked outside a fire station, featuring off-road tires, emergency lights, and equipment compartments for first responder use.

Kestrel Work Truck for First Response Debuts at FDIC 2026

Morgan Olson introduced its Kestrel platform, a compact, four-wheel-drive Class 2 work truck designed for first responders, with multiple configurations, validated safety testing, and a focus on durability and fleet lifecycle performance.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
a chart of government fleet sales trends.
Vehicle Researchby Staff WriterApril 6, 2026

Government Fleet Vehicle Sales Rise In March

Government fleet vehicle sales increased by 1% in March, up from March 2025.

Read More →
Graphic for Government Fleet’s March 2026 Recall Roundup showing a red pickup truck and bold text reading “RECALL ROUNDUP” with a red tag labeled “March 2026” on a concrete background.

March 2026 Recall Roundup: Ford, Kia, & More

Are any of the vehicles in your fleet recalled? Check out the latest recalls of popular government fleet vehicles and equipment.

Read More →
freightliner whitepaper
SponsoredMarch 26, 2026

Reducing Risk and Improving Safety in Public Sector Fleets with Advanced Driver-Assist Technology

Public sector fleets face increasing pressure to improve safety, reduce liability, and operate efficiently. See how advanced vehicle technologies are helping agencies protect drivers, the public, and their budgets.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
a graph showing 2025 and 2026 vehicle sales in february.
Vehicle Researchby Nichole OsinskiMarch 6, 2026

Government Fleet Vehicle Sales See February Decline

Government fleet vehicles declined, with 16,744 vehicles sold in February, down 8.9% from 18,383 sold in February 2025.

Read More →
Graphic for Government Fleet’s February 2026 Recall Roundup showing a white pickup truck and bold text reading “RECALL ROUNDUP” with a red tag labeled “February 2026” on a concrete background.

February 2026 Recall Roundup: Oshkosh, Toyota, & More

Are any of the vehicles in your fleet recalled? Check out the latest recalls of popular government fleet vehicles and equipment.

Read More →
SponsoredFebruary 6, 2026

Reduce Emissions. Reduce Risk. No Charging Infrastructure Required.

Sustainability mandates and tight budgets don't have to be in conflict. Hybrids offer a practical, low-risk path to meaningful emissions reductions without new infrastructure spending or operational disruption. Download the eBook for the data and the roadmap to make the case internally and act with confidence.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A chart showing January 2026 vehicle sales.
Vehicle Researchby Nichole OsinskiFebruary 4, 2026

Government Fleet Vehicle Sales Start the Year Above 2025 Pace

Government fleet vehicle sales came in at 18,028 in January, up 5.1% from 17,148 in January 2025.

Read More →