XL Fleet, Curbtender partner to develop electrified refuse trucks

XL Fleet Corp., Boston, has entered into a strategic partnership with Cedar Falls, Iowa-based Curbtender Inc. to jointly develop a series of battery electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) commercial trucks for use in waste management applications.

The two companies have committed to developing and launching a BEV equipped with an XL Electric propulsion system and a Curbtender Quantum rear-loader refuse truck body within the next year. The agreement also includes the joint development of PHEV versions of the vehicle, as well as a range of Class 3 – Class 8 vehicle solutions for the waste management industry.

Refuse trucks represent a $7 billion market segment within the global commercial fleet industry, with more than 62,000 units sold globally in 2018 and sales growing annually by 4 percent, according to a news release from XL Fleet. Refuse collection trucks travel 25,000 miles annually on average and contribute around 1.4 percent 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, the company adds.

Refuse collection vehicles have extremely demanding drive cycles, the partners say, adding that they are committed to delivering reliable electrified solutions that meet the operating needs of customers while also satisfying their increasingly strict sustainability and cost targets.

“This partnership represents several exciting milestones that are well-aligned with XL Fleet’s product and business strategy,” says Dimitri Kazarinoff, XL Fleet CEO. “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.”

“Curbtender has always prided itself on its long history of durability, performance and innovation in commercial waste management,” says Kevin Watje, Curbtender CEO. “The industry is eager to realize the environmental, cost and sustainability benefits of electrified vehicles, and our partnership with XL Fleet will allow us to move quickly in getting these trucks into our customers’ hands.”