We drove Battle Motors’ awesome electric garbage truck on a racetrack
Battle Motors invited us out to Irwindale Speedway to drive its powerful electric garbage trucks around the racetrack, and we came away dreaming of quieter, cleaner neighborhoods that feel like they’re just around the corner.
Garbage trucks have been considered ripe for electrification for some time now, as the duty cycle of a garbage truck lines up very well with the strengths of electric vehicles. They do a lot of starting and stopping, which means the regenerative braking and lack of idling on an EV are beneficial. They carry a lot of weight, meaning they need ample low-end torque. And they do predictable daily routes before heading back to a depot, ensuring a place to charge and allowing buyers to right-size the battery based on route length.
In the face of new truck regulations both on the California state and US federal levels, the rush to electrify heavy-duty vehicles has never been more urgent.
Battle Motors is a relatively new player, but in 2021, it acquired Crane Carrier Company, which has operated since 1946, building chassis for construction, refuse collection, and other industries. The company now has a full slate of electric chassis/cab combinations for “vocational” applications.
So far, Battle Motors has sold EV trucks to the cities of Los Angeles, New York, and Plano, Texas. EVs have made up about 5% of its sales this year, but it expects EVs to make up 20% of sales next year.
The event was put on by Velocity Truck Centers, a commercial truck dealer network that serves the Southwest US and distributes Battle Motors’ electric trucks. (We also drove Battle Motors’ all-electric street sweeper at the same event.)
And sure, track performance doesn’t matter for a garbage truck, but these vehicles do need a lot of power and can benefit from being more nimble, not needing to shift through so many gears, not slowing down traffic on city streets when going to and from the depot, and so on.
There is, unfortunately, still a persistent feeling among some crowds that electric motors don’t have enough power for heavy-duty applications (which couldn’t be further from the truth – the heaviest-duty applications, like freight trains, cruise ships, and mining trucks will often use electric drive, just fueled by diesel generators), so demo days like this are useful for fleet operators to get some hands-on experience.
Battle Motors’ trucks have either a 240 or 400 kWh battery and 442-570 horsepower, depending on configuration. Range depends on use and configuration, but with these two battery options, buyers will be able to right-size their pack for their application.
The trucks we drove felt smooth and quick on the track despite their 30,000+ lb. weight, with no problem getting up to speed – or down from it. Regenerative braking was strong; we saw up to 250 kW of regen being applied when we let off the accelerator. This helps make the vehicles more efficient, reduces maintenance due to lower brake usage, and reduces one source of noise, which is particularly beneficial for neighborhood operation. It’s also nice for drivers who don’t need to move their leg around to press the brake pedal as much (a minor thing, but compounded over several 8 hour days, it can add up).
These vehicles weren’t exactly quiet because while the diesel engine has been deleted, there’s still plenty of machinery associated with loading garbage into the truck, which will still make just as much noise as in diesel-powered versions. But they are quieter than the diesel versions, and every little bit of noise reduction helps in a neighborhood (especially with the modern predilection towards work-from-home – trash days are utter chaos in my neighborhood).
Battle Motors’ philosophy has been not to shake the boat too much when it comes to laying out powertrain parts, choosing to mount the motor up front and deliver power to the axles through a driveshaft rather than an e-axle. For the garbage trucks especially, putting the motor in the rear would risk having food refuse and other gunk potentially falling onto it in the course of operation, which could lead to corrosion or result in varmints chewing up cables or something. Plus, in a time when EVs will necessarily only be part of a fleet (so far), it makes it easier for fleet mechanics to work on alternate powertrains when the rest of the parts are similar.
The interior had about what you’d expect out of a garbage truck. Various switches to operate equipment, air-ride seats, command seating positions with big flat windows, and so on. But electric vehicles can be more comfortable for drivers, especially with so many hours in the truck, because the lack of a rumbling diesel engine means less vibration, less exhaust, and less noise, which makes working hours generally easier on the body.
The digital info cluster is a large, detailed LCD screen running Battle Motors’ “rEVolutionOS.” The trucks use MobilEye’s Shield+ system for collision avoidance and blind spot detection, helping to increase safety.
Electric heavy-duty trucks are still expensive, costing twice as much (or more) as comparable diesel vehicles. Companies can generally recoup these costs with drastically lower running costs, including fueling and maintenance, and the difference is even greater when environmental costs are taken into account.
That last point is why governments have offered huge incentives to reduce upfront prices of heavy-duty vehicles, to the amount of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per truck, to the point where post-incentive pricing can be quite similar to diesel vehicles in places like California, where lots of incentives exist.
And it’s about time, too. Heavy-duty vehicles make more than their fair share of pollution, and for things like diesel garbage trucks, that pollution happens directly in communities where people spend most of their time (and this pollution also harms refuse workers, who are around it every day). The quicker we can clean that up, the better.
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On today’s battle-ready episode of Quick Charge, it’s Elon Musk vs. the world as big players position themselves for control of enough lithium to build 600 million electric cars and the rest of the industry squares up to Tesla in the battle for market leadership.
While Windrose is making sales and expanding into new markets, the Tesla Semi is still in limited tests, Robotaxi launches as a “ride hailing service” in California with randos in the drivers’ seat and Academy Award nominated actor/noted college football analyst Timothée Chalamet teams up with Lucid to steal (even more) sales from the embattled Model S and X lines.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Retrospec, the makers of sleek, powerful e-bikes and outdoor gear built for everyday adventure. Quick Charge listeners can get 10% off their next e-bike ride through August 14 with the exclusive code ELECTREK10 only at retrospec.com.
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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EV charging company ezVOLTz has partnered with Driivz, the EV software arm of Vontier, to make its “Charging as a Service” platform even smarter and more reliable for fleets, businesses, and state and local governments across the US.
If you’re not familiar with ezVOLTz, it’s a full-service EV charging provider. It handles everything, from installing hardware-agnostic chargers to managing the backend with its software platform, ezCONNECT. Now, ezVOLTz is plugging into Driivz’s charging and energy management tech to help run things even more smoothly.
With Driivz’s help, ezVOLTz plans to keep its network humming with 24/7 monitoring and real-time issue detection. Driivz’s Alert Management System can auto-fix up to 80% of charger hiccups remotely without sending a tech on-site. That means more uptime and fewer headaches for drivers and site owners.
“EV adoption is surging, and drivers and the companies and entities that serve them need smart, connected, and reliable charging options,” said ezVOLTz CEO Sam Malhotra. “The Driivz team and their smart charging and energy management solutions are a natural fit in bolstering our services.”
The partnership also gives ezVOLTz new tools to grow its network. Driivz’s software tracks usage patterns and charger performance, helping pinpoint the best spots for new installations. Driivz will also support the ezVOLTz app, letting users plan road trips and find chargers nationwide.
“Reliability and ease-of-use are two of the most important considerations for EV drivers,” said Andrew Bennett, CEO of Driivz. “We’re proud to partner with ezVOLTz in delivering seamless and reliable charging to their customers.”
As more businesses, fleets, and municipalities plug into EVs, partnerships like this one aim to make sure the charging experience keeps up.
Read more: Driivz expands in the US EV charging market with a new HQ
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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The Subaru BRZ may live on as an EV after all. Subaru wants its share of the sports car market, and an electric BRZ could hit the sweet spot.
Is Subaru launching an electric BRZ?
Subaru discontinued the BRZ in Europe in 2020 after the first generation. Although its twin, the Toyota GR86, was sold until the 2024 model year, the BRZ was released as a US-only model.
In its third generation, it could return as an EV. Speaking with Autocar, Subaru’s European head, David Dello Stritto, said, “Our options are open,” hinting that the BRZ could make a comeback in electric form.
Subaru’s global EV product boss, Inoue Masahiko, confirmed an electric version of the sports car “was under consideration.” He added that Subaru has extensively looked into an EV version of the BRZ with its partner, Toyota.
Masahiko explained that “We did consider electrifying the BRZ and GR86, but the win-win relationship is more important.” So far, “We can’t get the kind of benefits from both sides,” he added.
Subaru is already launching several new electric vehicles in Europe, including the new Uncharted, E-Outback (known as Trailseeker in the US), and an updated Solterra SUV.
Stritto said that an electric sports car will depend on the success of these models first, especially the Uncharted. According to Subaru’s European boss, the Japanese automaker feels “very positively about Subaru enthusiasts, but we need to see how Uncharted does first.”
As for an “electrified” powertrain, or hybrid, Masahiko said the vehicle’s packaging “would make it difficult,” adding an EV version would be “easier” to create.
The comments come after Stritto told Autocar last week that a new entry-level EV could also be in the works. However, that will also depend on how well the Uncharted sells.
For those in the US, don’t worry – Subaru is not planning to discontinue the BRZ. If it did launch as an EV, would you consider one? It would go up against the new Hyundai IONIQ 6 N and Tesla Model 3 Performance.
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