Ramping up the development of what is expected to be the first US all-electric Class 8 refuse truck, Motiv Power Systems has announced some of its vendor partners on the project. The garbage truck body will be a Loadmaster 20 cubic yard Excel-S series, provided by RNOW Inc under municipal contract with the City of Chicago. The chassis, manufactured by Crane Carrier, will be furnished by Cumberland Service Center another City of Chicago contracted dealer. Last November, Motiv was granted a contract up to $13.4 million to provide up to 20 EV refuse trucks for the City of Chicago. The scalability and flexibility of the Motiv electric Powertrain Control System (ePCS) made the company the most cost-effective choice for the exclusive 5-year contract.
Currently the only technology of its kind in the trucking market, the ePCS uses off-the-shelf batteries and motors, which can be mixed and matched to fit the exact size and duty cycle of the electric truck needed. The ePCS can handle EV trucks from medium-duty to heavy-duty, weighing 15,000 lbs to 52,000 lbs. Research suggests the ePCS design approach cuts operating costs by 50 percent over an eight-year period. With its medium-duty pilot shuttle, Motiv reduced operating cost from 80 cents per mile ($0.80/mi) to 10 cents per mile ($0.10/mi).
"Motiv's approach to the refuse market is the same as in other medium and heavy-duty vehicle markets where we have worked before; find the best, most knowledgeable partners and build a team and product based on our combined expertise at a lower cost," said Jim Castelaz, CEO of Motiv Power Systems. "These partners enable us to deliver a vehicle to Chicago that is not a science project, but instead consists of industry-standard components with strong, experienced suppliers standing behind every aspect of the vehicle."
