XL Fleet Corp., known for its hybrid electric trucks and vans, is entering the fast-growing, all-electric commercial vehicle space through a partnership with refuse truck giant Curbtender.
The two companies have committed to developing and launching a battery electric refuse vehicle equipped with an XL Electric propulsion system and a Curbtender Quantum rear loader refuse truck body (shown above) within the next year.
The agreement also includes the joint development of plug-in hybrid electric versions of the vehicle, as well as a range of Class 3 – Class 8 vehicle solutions for the waste management industry.
“This partnership represents several exciting milestones that are well aligned with XL Fleet’s product and business strategy,” said XL Fleet CEO Dimitri Kazarinoff. “As our first publicly referenced all-electric powertrain and our first Class 6 application for the waste management industry, we believe the EV Quantum and other jointly developed products with Curbtender will open up multiple new market opportunities for the Company in the coming years.”
Refuse trucks represent a $7 billion market segment within the global commercial fleet industry, with over 62,000 units sold globally in 2018 and growing annually by four percent.
According to XL, refuse trucks travel 25,000 miles annually on average and comprise 1.4% of the transportation industry’s overall fuel consumption, making them an attractive application for electrification and “reflecting a high-impact opportunity to drive decarbonization within the commercial sector.”
