Xcel Energy first to add all-electric bucket trucks to its fleet
Xcel Energy is taking the next steps in its commitment to electric transportation by becoming the first energy company in the nation to add all-electric bucket trucks to its fleet. Xcel Energy crews will use these new, quiet, zero-emissions trucks as they maintain the electric system and respond to outages after storms.
“We’re proud to be the first energy company in the United States to add all-electric bucket trucks to our fleet,” said Bob Frenzel, chairman, president, and CEO of Xcel Energy. “By adding these clean energy vehicles to our fleet, Xcel Energy is demonstrating its commitment to leading the clean energy transition by becoming a net-zero energy provider for all our customers’ energy needs – electricity, heating and transportation, while also helping shape the electrification of the truck industry, which complements our overall vision to provide 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.”
Xcel Energy was one of the first energy companies to put forward a plan to electrify all its light-duty vehicles and 30% of its medium and heavy-duty fleet by 2030. This directly supports the company’s vision to power 1.5 million electric vehicles by 2030, allowing everyone in the communities it serves to experience the benefits of electric transportation, whether they own an EV, take transit or benefit from improved air quality.
The truck’s technology is being delivered by Terex Utilities and Navistar, manufacturer of International trucks, two years ahead of industry projections. The truck features two electric sources: one for the drive train and one for the lift mechanism. It has a 135-mile driving range and the ability to operate the bucket for a full workday on a single charge.
Xcel Energy crews will use these trucks in real working conditions during a six- to 12-month pilot. Their feedback will help ensure the trucks become a dependable, preferred work truck, and help Xcel Energy and the industry better prepare for the electric vehicle transition. The company currently has 1,000 aerial bucket trucks in its fleet.
Xcel Energy will roll out the first truck in the Twin Cities in late June. The second truck will be delivered to its Denver fleet at the end of 2022.