An investment project to establish local production of electric trucks with payload capacities of 1.5 tonnes, 4.5 tonnes, and 8 tonnes has been presented in Ukraine. The initiative comes from Eximvat LLC, which plans to raise $750,000 to launch semi-knocked-down (SKD) assembly of modern electric commercial vehicles for military needs, commercial use, and the public sector.
The project envisions the sale and local assembly of electric trucks in Ukraine, which would help create a national manufacturer in a segment that is still largely absent from the domestic market. According to the company, the new vehicles could be in demand among farms, logistics operators, municipal services, private businesses, as well as Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and the State Emergency Service.
One of the project’s key advantages, according to its initiators, is significantly lower operating costs — estimated to be two to three times lower than those of diesel equivalents. Additional benefits include environmental performance, quiet operation, and the absence of a thermal signature, which is particularly important for vehicles that may be used in the military sector. The chassis is planned in both single-drive and 4×4 all-wheel-drive configurations.
The electric trucks are intended to serve as a universal platform for a range of equipment, including cargo bodies, dump bodies, cranes, and other specialized superstructures. According to the project team, local assembly will allow pricing to remain at the level of diesel equivalents or only up to 15% higher, which, given lower operating costs, makes the vehicles economically attractive to end users.
Ukraine’s electric truck market in the 1.5–8 tonne segment is currently at an early stage of development, but is already showing potential for scale. The current commercial market volume in 2025–2026 is estimated at 2,500–3,000 units per year. By 2035, according to the project team’s forecasts, the market could reach a cumulative fleet capacity of 150,000–180,000 units, while annual sales could rise to 17,000–20,000 units, corresponding to an annual market value of $1–1.3 billion. The cumulative market volume for 2026–2035 is estimated at $6–8 billion.
The company identifies rising prices for conventional fuel, the expansion of e-commerce and urban logistics, the gradual harmonization of the Ukrainian market with European standards, and increasing environmental requirements for transport as the main growth drivers.
The project’s sales model includes direct sales, the development of a dealer network, and the use of leasing and loan instruments. The main focus is on B2B sales, participation in tenders, pilot projects with large clients, and digital promotion. The target audience includes farms, sole proprietors in delivery and urban logistics, retail, logistics companies, manufacturing businesses, and the public sector.
The initiating company was founded in 2024. To date, a project implementation roadmap has already been developed, negotiations have been held with manufacturers and partners, working visits have been made to production sites, and preliminary agreements have been reached on the supply of finished electric trucks and assembly components. In addition, the project has already received its first market signals: preliminary orders have been secured for 36 electric trucks with a payload capacity of 4.5 tonnes.
For the implementation of the initiative, real estate is expected to be leased. The company also owns a trademark, has preliminary agreements in place to organize supply chains and launch operations, and has developed technical solutions for setting up the assembly line.
At present, the project team consists of one founder and three technical specialists — two engineers and one mechanic. At the first stage, pilot production of three vehicles is planned. Over the following three years, the company aims to scale to serial production of 30 to 1,000 units annually. The stated payback period is around two years, provided that 190 vehicles are sold.
The total investment budget of the project amounts to $750,000. Of this, $150,000 is to be allocated to the purchase of three electric trucks with different payload capacities for certification and project promotion. Another $600,000 is required for the purchase of six SKD assembly kits, equipment, materials, leased premises, production setup, and administrative and operating expenses. The project has already been partially financed with $35,000.
Additional information is available on the InVenture platform.
