Autocar, LLC, manufacturer of North America’s oldest brand of specialized severe-duty vocational trucks, introduced an all-electric version of its Autocar ACTT terminal tractor, the E-ACTT. The E-ACTT will be available in late 2021.

The purpose-built E-ACTT terminal tractor makes a great work truck even better by helping meet regulatory mandates for the vocational truck industry to reduce fuel consumption by 24% by model year 2027 and, in California, to transition diesel trucks to zero-emission trucks.

The E-ACTT is the same reliable, heavy duty Autocar ACTT but is all electric. Autocar Truck has been a key innovator in the EV truck market dating back to 1923 when we designed our first two EV trucks, Autocar Truck E1 and E2.

—Mark Aubry, general manager, Terminal Tractor division for Autocar Truck

The Autocar E-ACTT electric powertrain with telemetry/diagnostic systems were designed specifically for severe-duty application by Vorza. Vorza’s electric fleet vehicle development team worked directly with Autocar Truck to create a 24/7 powertrain capable of handling the rigorous demands of semi-trailer yard spotting and container handling.

Autocar’s temperature-controlled lithium-ion battery technology and onboard charging system in the E-ACTT terminal tractor are designed to meet demanding duty cycles with minimal operational disruptions, similar operationally to their current diesel counterparts.

With advanced monitoring systems and innovative telematics in every unit, the E- ACTT terminal tractor provides cost savings for both predictive and preventive maintenance. It is designed to improve a fleet’s productivity and efficiency by maximizing uptime. Autocar’s telematics allows each tractor to predict when maintenance is needed, allowing the fleet owner to reduce or eliminate downtime and generate cost savings.

The Autocar brand was launched in 1897 when founder Louis Semple Clarke built the “Autocar No. 1,” a tricycle powered by a one-cylinder gasoline engine, now in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. By 1921, the original Autocar company offered three truck models with capacities ranging from 1-1/2 to 6 tons, a variety of wheelbases, both conventional and engine-under-the-seat designs.

Today, Autocar, LLC is a specialist manufacturer of custom-engineered, severe-duty, Class 7 and Class 8 vocational trucks.