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Boston Globe

No smog, no noise at an all-electric truck showcase in South Natick

Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up At Lookout Farm, the Bollinger was one of 10 electric trucks on display as state officials seek to encourage fleet owners to convert from diesel in order to reduce emissions that cause climate change and air pollution. The state had planned to begin requiring minimum sales of electric trucks this year, but Advertisement A man walks past an e-truck for sale at a zero-emission vehicle showcase at Lookout Farm in Natick on May 20. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Advertisement Jennifer Kritzler, deputy director for Calstart's Northeast Regional Office, said the showcase was designed to demonstrate the variety of electric models suitable for many different jobs. About 100 people, including both commercial and municipal truck users, signed up to attend the showcase. 'There's no obligation to buy a vehicle,' Kritzler said. 'We really want to just get the information out there that electric vehicles are available for purchase and that they can do the duty cycles that you need.' Alongside the Bollinger and a few other medium-sized cargo trucks, the showcase also included a mustard yellow Rivian pickup truck and a couple of futuristic electric vans from 'We're a local company, so we like to just basically keep the vibe local,' Cory Byrnes, Indigo's director of operations, said. 'On a nice pristine farm like this, why would you want a diesel engine running around when you could have a quiet electric vehicle.' Potential buyers attending the showcase had many questions about range, cost, and carrying capacity. Gustavo Teza uses his phone to document an Indigo Tech EV delivery van at a zero-emission vehicle showcase at Lookout Farm in Natick on May 20. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Tom Morahan, general manager at Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant, the town's electric utility, examined several of the larger models on display. So far, the limited driving range and lack of charging stations plus higher prices of electric models have deterred a purchase, he said. 'The infrastructure is not there for charging at this point,' Morahan said. 'We're waiting for the market, just waiting to see what's going to happen.' Advertisement Calstart's Kritzler mingled with the attendees, answering questions. Under a state-funded program, the nonprofit will help up to 200 truck fleet owners plan for transitioning to electric by identifying specific models, costs, and charging needs. 'A fleet that's well educated is more likely to make a transition to a zero emission vehicle,' Kritzler said. Aaron Pressman can be reached at