Large vehicles are considered some of the toughest to electrify. But Pierce, the largest maker of firetrucks in North America, is giving it a try.
Pierce has already delivered its Volterra electric firetruck to numerous fire departments across the country and has more on the way.
It is part of a larger electrification plan by Pierce's parent, Oshkosh Corporation. The Wisconsin-based company is a kind of superstore of purpose-built vehicles. Need a news van? Mail truck? Garbage truck? Construction lift? Oshkosh makes them all, along with airport emergency vehicles, tow trucks, concrete mixers, truck-mounted cranes, military vehicles and others.
Oshkosh leverages technology that can be applied to various products to suit different markets. Electrification and automation are just two examples.
The company makes an electric firetruck called the Volterra and is electrifying other vehicles in other departments. For example, Oshkosh has won a contract to produce both battery electric and internal combustion mail delivery vehicles for the United States Postal Service. The contract allows for the delivery of 50,000 vehicles and 165,000 vehicles over a period of 10 years, respectively. The postal truck is designed so that internal combustion versions can be retrofitted with battery electric technology.
Watch the video to learn more.