XL Fleet Corp. has unveiled its first all-electric pre-series unit of the Curbtender Quantum refuse truck. The electric vehicle was developed in collaboration with Curbtender Inc. utilizing a Ford F-600 chassis.
The EV solution is the first of three pre-series vehicles, and the companies plan to build and deliver multiple commercial units in 2022.
The platform was designed from the ground up to satisfy the challenging vocational operating conditions of refuse vehicles, resulting in a fleet-ready EV solution that delivers improved weight distribution, packaging, battery safety and performance. XL Fleet will continue to test and refine its current design with sales expected later in 2022.
The all-EV features a proprietary swing panel packing mechanism, which allows the packer to clear more trash in a shorter amount of time and with a smaller hopper requirement. The result is a faster, lighter rear loader. The zero-emission propulsion system will also become available on the Curbtender TomCat model.
“The need for sustainable vehicle solutions in the waste management market has grown steadily, and XL Fleet and Curbtender are well positioned to serve that demand,” says Eric Tech, CEO of XL Fleet. “Curbtender has been a terrific partner in jointly developing this vehicle and helping us expand our footprint and solutions scope where we see growth opportunities. The development of this all-electric vehicle is a significant step for XL Fleet, as we expand vehicle electrification and help our customers achieve their decarbonization goals.”
“As a fleet electrification leader that offers charging infrastructure and installation support, we work closely with our customers to understand how the vehicle will be put to use and ensure they’re fully setup for success,” states Toza Crnilovic, vice president of sales at XL Fleet. “XL Fleet provides a robust solution to our customers starting with site evaluation, HW planning and installation, and a customer monitoring dashboard. These solutions and services are meant to ensure our customers have a frictionless experience in meeting their electrification and sustainability goals. We have many customer inquiries and are building a firm pipeline of purchase orders.”
“The commercial waste management industry is in need of sustainable, cost effective, and energy efficient vehicles,” comments Kevin Watje, CEO of Curbtender. “The all-electric platforms we’re developing with XL Fleet are leading us into our decarbonized future, without compromising durability or performance. As we get ready to deliver our first vehicles, we look forward to strengthening our partnership with XL Fleet and better serving customers throughout North America.”
