Vocational Work Truck Fleet Electrification Perspectives

July 28, 2021

Zeus Electric Chassis is working with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) to deploy five electric vocational work trucks including: an electric dump truck for construction applications, an electric box delivery van, an electric stake truck for general utility use, a closed electric service truck and an open electric service truck for line crew maintenance use.  Additionally, Zeus is working with SMUD to define the specifications for an aerial lift electric bucket truck for power line maintenance. 

Zeus Electric Vocational Truck in a Flatbed Configuration

Casey Fallon, Director of Purchasing, Warehouse, and Fleet at SMUD talked about what he sees in the future of vocational truck fleet electrification in the July 23rd edition of E-Spotlight, presented weekly by the California Mobility Center.  Here are some excerpts: 

“We needed an option to move further into our operational fleet with something unique and impactful that we did not have access to from the OEM market. Zeus manufactures custom, all-electric, Class 4, 5, and 6 work trucks in class. They offer a unique combination of customized chassis, cabs, and body configurations that enable application across our medium-duty fleet. We immediately had a terrific impression about the engineering, design, and leadership at Zeus...  ” 

“What I am most excited about with this opportunity is to look past the deployment of the five “Zeus” all-electric work trucks … in a recent conversation with our CEO Paul Lau he said, “Casey, you need to go big or go home,” so I told him we’ll aim to electrify our entire fleet by 2030. ” 

We’ll aim to electrify our entire fleet by 2030

Casey Fallon, Director of Purchasing, Warehouse, and Fleet at SMUD

“I’d like to announce that I will host fleet managers, directors, and executives from utilities, construction and other commercial companies, regional agencies, and other fleets to join me for a conversation facilitated by the CMC staff to talk about how we catalyze the market, with a common goal and focus of advancing fleet electrification in a real way by aggregating our purchasing power and common thinking, and our desire to change the future. “ 

“If you’re interested in participating in this effort, send an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Fleet Electrification”. They are working to convene such a group. It’s collaborative efforts like this that can make a difference, so go big and join me and the CMC in this effort!” – Casey Fallon

Read the entire article at the California Mobility Center here.