XL Fleet Corp. has entered into a strategic partnership with Curbtender, a market leader in Under CDL (vehicles that do not require a Commercial Drivers License) refuse trucks and a pioneer in automated side-loader collection. Under the terms of the agreement, XL Fleet and Curbtender will jointly develop a series of battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) commercial trucks for use in waste management applications.

Curbtender Quantum. The Quantum is the US Waste Industry’s #1 selling small rear loader. Its packing mechanism utilizes a patented “swing panel” instead of a “slide panel.” This key design change allows the packer to clear more trash in a shorter amount of time and with a smaller hopper requirement.

The two companies have committed to developing and launching a battery electric refuse vehicle equipped with an XL Electric propulsion system and a Curbtender Quantum rear loader refuse truck body within the next year. The agreement also includes the joint development of plug-in hybrid electric versions of the vehicle, as well as a range of Class 3 to Class 8 vehicle solutions for the waste management industry.

Refuse trucks represent a $7-billion market segment within the global commercial fleet industry, with more than 62,000 units sold globally in 2018 and growing annually by four percent. Refuse collection trucks travel 25,000 miles annually on average and contribute around 1.4% of the transportation industry’s overall fuel consumption, making them an attractive application for electrification and reflecting a high-impact opportunity to drive decarbonization within the commercial sector.

Demand for sustainable vehicle solutions in this market has grown steadily in recent years, and XL Fleet and Curbtender expect to be well positioned to serve that demand through this partnership.

Refuse collection vehicles have extremely demanding drive cycles, and both companies are committed to delivering reliable electrified solutions that meet the operating needs of customers while also satisfying their increasingly strict sustainability and cost targets.

This partnership represents several exciting milestones that are well aligned with XL Fleet’s product and business strategy. As our first publicly referenced all-electric powertrain and our first Class 6 application for the waste management industry, we believe the EV Quantum and other jointly developed products with Curbtender will open up multiple new market opportunities for the Company in the coming years.

—Dimitri Kazarinoff, XL Fleet CEO

The electrification system is one of several all-electric chassis XL Fleet is currently developing.

XL Fleet is a leading provider of vehicle electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets in North America, with more than 145 million miles driven by customers such as The Coca-Cola Company, Verizon, Yale University and the City of Boston. XL Fleet’s hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric drive systems can increase fuel economy up to 25-50% and reduce carbon dioxide emissions up to 20-33%, decreasing operating costs and meeting sustainability goals while enhancing fleet operations.