In an era marked by the urgent need to combat climate change and to transition from fossil fuel powered vehicles to renewable energy sources and sustainable transportation options, electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising solution. Electric vehicles offer an emissions-free alternative to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and help reduce dependence on fossil fuel. By eliminating vehicle emissions during use, EV’s can help improve local air quality and contribute to reduced vehicle noise.
While there have been widely publicized advancements in EV passenger vehicles, developing EV solutions for heavy duty vehicles such as refuse collection vehicles has been less obvious.
The McNeilus® Volterra™ ZSL™ product is North America’s first fully integrated, Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) for refuse collection. This electric refuse collection vehicle is built from the ground up by McNeilus and parent company Oshkosh Corporation, bringing together Oshkosh’s experience in severe duty vehicle innovation and McNeilus expertise in refuse collection bodies. It was skillfully engineered with technologies and design features covered by more than 50 patents and patent applications. Now this product adds the EPA Heavy Duty Greenhouse Gas Certificate of Conformity, CARB Heavy Duty Greenhouse Gas Executive Order, and CARB Zero Emissions Powertrain Executive Order to its list of advantages.
McNeilus and Oshkosh see EVs and electric-powered equipment as playing a critical role in efforts to move to a more sustainable future. They have been developing electrification solutions for more than 25 years and are driven to minimize environmental impact and maximize performance.
The McNeilus Volterra ZSL product takes this industry leading knowledge to the next level. Achieving EPA and CARB certifications with this purpose built, fully integrated, zero emissions RCV is confirmation of the company’s vision to build a world-class electric refuse collection vehicle.
“The EPA and CARB certifications mark a major milestone in the development of the McNeilus Volterra ZSL refuse vehicle because they provide objective third party evaluations of its design, and carbon zero-emission capabilities,” said Lee Dreas, vice president and general manager, McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing. “These certifications are the result of a rigorous review process to confirm we have met a very high standard in electric vehicle technology. With the certified zero-emission Volterra ZSL product, we’re also providing customers a solution to help achieve their sustainability goals and meet ZEV requirements for fleets.”
Benefits to Vehicle Buyers
Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions: CARB and EPA certifications demonstrate that the McNeilus Volterra ZSL refuse collection vehicle eliminates carbon dioxide emissions. This helps contribute to governmental agencies and McNeilus customers reaching their sustainability goals.
Advanced Battery Technology: The McNeilus Volterra ZSL refuse vehicle’s advanced battery technology enables long battery life, fast charging times and optimal overall performance. The unique and exclusive battery management system is also purposely designed and optimized for refuse collection, allowing it to complete a full daily route on a single charge.
Cost Management: CARB recently announced the Advanced Clean Fleets rule, which says refuse vehicle fleets across the state of California must transition to zero emissions by 2040. To support fleet owners with this change, the state offers a variety of purchase incentive programs such as the Hybrid and Zero Emissions Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). By receiving these CARB certifications, the Volterra ZSL refuse vehicle is eligible for purchase vouchers in state incentive programs such as the New Jersey Zero-Emission Inventive Program (NJ ZIP) or California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emissions Voucher Inventive Project (HVIP). When listed in the California HVIP catalog, the Volterra ZSL may become eligible for purchase vouchers up to $120,000 per truck.
Total Cost of Ownership: Simplified maintenance and parts inventory, operational efficiency and extended service life with the Volterra ZSL RCV all help contribute to improving total cost of ownership by up to an estimated 14%. Other key contributing factors include connected, intelligent telematics providing condition-based maintenance, tire pressure monitoring system and cooperative regenerative braking. The comparative TCO advantages become even greater with future price increases with fossil fuels.
Long-Term Investment: This purpose-built electric RCV incorporates advanced technology and innovative design to deliver game-changing solutions in driver comfort and safety, productivity, serviceability, and sustainability. Other features include a revolutionary e-axle architecture with a B10-rating of 300,000 miles, plus cooperative regenerative braking and battery preconditioning for outstanding range and compaction.
The McNeilus Volterra ZSL refuse vehicle is being produced in a new, state-of-the-art facility in Murfreesboro, Tenn. To learn more about this new product category, go to https://integratedrefusecollector.com/.
