Electric trucks aren’t as simple as we’d like to think. Sure, they offer reduced complexity when it comes to diesel powertrains, but there are still plenty of equipment decisions and powertrain configurations to be parsed through when spec’ing an electric truck. That is doubly true for the work truck segment, where truck manufacturers and body builders (the manufacturers that build everything from cement mixers to man-bucket equipment) have to collaborate closely to ensure there’s enough space on the frame rail and power to the body equipment, to name just one possible complication.
Imagine your surprise if you were to see an electric motor positioned at the tail end of the powertrain. In fact, you don’t have to imagine my surprise because you can hear it in the video above when I got a walk around the medium-duty International eMV at Work Truck Week and saw the electric motor in a pusher configuration.
There was plenty more to learn about how Navistar has been developing, testing and is soon to be delivering its electric truck offering to fleets in various work truck applications.
“We have a mix of upfitter situations–not every customer is the same based on the body they’re putting on the vehicle,” said Bruce Vasbinder, associate director of segment marketing, medium-duty truck, Navistar. “Originally when we brought this to market, it was going be in a dry van application, but we quickly pivoted towards dump bodies, small stake beds, utility trucks and applications of that nature.”
There’s a lot that goes into accommodating those truck bodies, and there are few better than Bruce to walk you through the EV details. Watch the video above for all of his hard-working truck expertise.
No script? No plan? No problem. Welcome to Fleet Equipment Unscripted—the video interview series that connects you with the greatest minds in the heavy-duty trucking world. Fleet Equipment Unscripted is sponsored by Hendrickson.
