California Truck Equipment Company (CTEC) and Indiana-based Rockport Commercial Vehicles are two of the latest vehicle builders to offer electric versions of their existing commercial vehicles. Both are using Motiv Power Systems’ All-Electric Powertrain, an OEM-installed package that includes batteries, motors, charging hardware and power for hydraulics and other accessories (see the July/August 2015 issue of Charged).

Other Motiv customers include Morgan Olson, TransTech Bus, Ameritrans Bus and Cumberland Service Center. According to Motiv, vehicles equipped with its powertrains have shown operating cost reductions of up to 87 percent compared to legacy diesel trucks.

The first CTEC work truck was recently delivered to Santa Ana, California, for use by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. It has a GVWR of 14,500 pounds, and a payload capacity of 7,890 pounds. It offers 1,200 Nm of torque and a top speed of 60 miles per hour. The on-board charger can deliver a 50 percent charge in two hours and a full charge in eight, with no need for special charging equipment at the fleet depot.

“The Motiv-powered work truck looks and functions just like its gasoline counterpart, making it simple for our customers to fit them into their existing fleets,” said CTEC President Rick Anderson. “The maintenance truck for the City of Santa Ana has proved to be very reliable, and we look forward to building more.”

“For fleets, going electric doesn’t have to mean a big change in operations,” said Jim Castelaz, CEO of Motiv Power Systems. “A new zero-emission vehicle can fit seamlessly within their existing infrastructure. Commercial fleets rely on consistency within their vehicles and operations, so having familiar OEM vehicle builders like Rockport and CTEC now offering all-electric vehicles is a game-changer. It minimizes personnel training and maintenance on these new EVs.”

Source: Motiv Power Systems