Workhorse Signs Tristan Fleet Management as First Canadian Dealer for W56 Electric Step Vans

Workhorse Group (NASDAQ: WKHS) announced on October 22, 2026 that it has signed a dealer agreement with Tristan Fleet Management inc., its first dedicated Canadian dealer for the W56 electric step van. The partnership marks a meaningful step in Workhorse's North American commercial EV strategy and gives Canadian fleet operators a local sales and service channel for a proven electric work truck.

What the W56 offers Canadian fleets

Tristan will market the full W56 lineup, which includes two wheelbase options and two battery configurations:

• Standard Wheelbase: 178-inch wheelbase
• Extended Wheelbase: 208-inch wheelbase
• Cargo capacity: up to 34 cubic metres (1,200 cubic feet)
• Payload: up to 4,535 kg (10,000 lbs)
• Range: 240 km (150 miles) per charge on the 210 kWh battery

Tristan's service footprint

Tristan Fleet Management operates seven maintenance locations: five in Quebec (Pierrefonds, Saint-Laurent, Saint-Zotique, Boucherville, and Valleyfield) and two in Ontario. In addition to vehicle service, Tristan provides 24/7 roadside assistance and towing, and holds dealership authorizations for Michelin, Cummins, WABCO, and MAXON — a breadth of vendor partnerships that reduces the number of service calls a fleet manager has to coordinate.

The Canadian incentive angle

Quebec's Écocamionnage program continues to offer meaningful rebates for commercial fleet electrification. Daniel Barbu, Tristan's VP and General Manager, noted that "the business case for going electric has never been stronger" when factoring in both the subsidy and the current spike in diesel prices. For operators in Ontario, federal and municipal zero-emission fleet programs add further offsets.

Workhorse has been selling and supporting electric trucks in Canada since 2021, primarily through its Purolator fleet partnership. The company is also an approved supplier within the Canoe cooperative purchasing program, which serves municipalities, public-sector entities, and registered not-for-profits across Canada.

Why this matters for the Canadian EV market

Commercial work trucks represent a large, under-penetrated segment for EVs in Canada. A dedicated dealer with in-province service bays removes two of the most common adoption barriers cited by fleet managers: parts lead-time and localized maintenance. With Workhorse's 22+ million miles of real-world fleet data informing W56 design iterations, the platform is not a first-generation product — it is the result of five years of Canadian winter-climate testing and deployment.

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