McNeilus EV earns certifications as low-emissions vehicle

McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing Inc. has announced that its Volterra ZSL, a fully integrated, zero-emission refuse collection electric vehicle (EV), has earned three certifications from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB).

The Volterra ZSL refuse collection vehicle (RCV) is built from the ground up by McNeilus and parent company Oshkosh Corp.,  Oshkosh, Wisconsin, bringing together Oshkosh’s experience in severe-duty vehicle innovation and McNeilus’ expertise in refuse collection bodies. It includes technologies and design features covered by more than 50 patents and patent applications. It has earned the EPA Heavy Duty Greenhouse Gas Certificate of Conformity, CARB Heavy Duty Greenhouse Gas Executive Order and the CARB Zero Emissions Powertrain Executive Order.

“The EPA and CARB certifications mark a major milestone in the development of the McNeilus Volterra ZSL refuse vehicle because they provide objective third-party evaluations of its design and zero-emission capabilities,” McNeilus Truck Vice President and General Manager Lee Dreas says. “These certifications are the result of a rigorous review process to confirm we have met a very high standard in electric vehicle technology. With the certified zero-emission Volterra ZSL product, we’re also providing customers a solution to help achieve their sustainability goals and meet EV requirements.”

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The EPA certificate signifies that the Volterra ZSL electric refuse vehicle conforms with Phase 2 greenhouse gas emissions standards and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty engines and vehicles.

CARB recently announced the Advanced Clean Fleets rule, which says refuse vehicle fleets across the state of California must transition to zero-emission vehicles by 2040. To support fleet owners with this change, the state offers a variety of purchase incentive programs such as the Hybrid and Zero Emissions Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). By receiving these CARB certifications, the Volterra ZSL refuse vehicle is eligible for purchase vouchers through state incentive programs such as the New Jersey Zero-Emission Inventive Program (NJ ZIP) or California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emissions Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). When listed in the California HVIP catalog, for example, the Volterra ZSL may become eligible for purchase vouchers up to $120,000 per truck. 

The CARB certifications also satisfy the zero-emissions vehicle reporting requirements needed to comply with advanced clean truck regulations in effect across eight states.

The Volterra ZSL RCV meets or exceeds clean energy mandates, and the battery management system is optimized for refuse collection, enabling all-day collection on a single charge. Other features include e-axle architecture with a B10-rating of 300,000 miles, as well as cooperative regenerative braking and battery preconditioning to enhance range and compaction.

The Volterra ZSL is being produced in a new facility in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and the compaction assemblies are being manufactured at McNeilus’ headquarters in Minnesota.