Xos, the new electric stepvan successfully passed winter tests in the U.S.

The new Xos electric stepvan has successfully passed winter tests in the U.S. The following video shows how the test was carried out.

Over the course of five days, the commercial truck testing team at Xos conducted multiple performance tests of the 2023 Xos Stepvan in 15-degree weather conditions in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The team assessed the Stepvan’s performance across a dozen different handling courses that featured low-friction surfaces on circular tracks, hills, and stability areas with different terrains of snow and ice. Outside of the performance test courses, the team assessed the Stepvan’s performance on public roads and through adjacent towns and cities to simulate real life situations.

Xos electric stepvan standing harsh winter conditions

In addition to monitoring the performance of the vehicle, the winter testing included testing of the battery systems and software interactions with the vehicle. Testing the software interactions enabled the team to come up with new software solutions to address issues or to improve overall performance, while testing of the battery systems gave the team greater insight into how the batteries can perform in cold climates.

The testing “takes place on a friction level that is less than pavement or concrete and we can simulate what we might encounter in the real world but in a more controlled setting,” said David Dominic Jr., Director of Commercial Truck Testing at Xos. “We also have several road courses that are winding roads through the woods that go through certain turns and force you to do things that you might do out in the world.”