

There are around 150,000 refuse trucks in the US. The turbine should run for about 10,000 hours between service, cutting maintenance costs along with fuel bills. Wrightspeed won't reveal pricing, but one estimate puts it around $200,000. The first retrofitted Mack LR garbage truck is about to ship. The company offers kits to retrofit existing trucks and outfit new ones.įedEx has ordered 25 and already outfitted two delivery vehicles. Wrightspeed’s turbine drivetrain, batteries, and motors fit in the space of a conventional diesel engine, gearbox, differentials, and two rear axles. “You can meet California emissions without any after-treatment.”

“The exhaust is incredibly clean,” says Wright. The high temperature, continuous combustion means pretty much everything is burned, leaving little pollution. Wright, one of the original co-founders of Tesla, believes that Class 8 garbage trucks represent a soft target for electrification, because the benefits are so significant. They can run on almost any flammable liquid (Chrysler claimed its car could run on everything from from peanut oil to perfume), but Wrightspeed plans on using easy diesel or natural gas. Turbine engines are simpler than reciprocating engines. Other automakers have considered small turbines as range extenders, but found they don't scale down well.īut they could be just right for trucks. The Mack LR Electric delivers the same comfort, visibility and reliability as the diesel-powered LR. A Lotus racecar of similar vintage was fast but unreliable, and generally considered crazy. Harness 120 years of innovative trucking technology with the most durable, hard-working electric truck on the streets today.

Chrysler plopped them into cars in the 1960s and '70s but gave up on the scheme. That sounds great, but turbines have a spotty history in vehicles. Coupled to motors at the wheels, it makes the system more similar to a train, which have used hybrid engines for decades, or a hugely overpowered Chevrolet Volt. When the battery runs low, a turbine spins up, burning fuel to generate electricity to keep the truck moving. So Wright developed an electric drivetrain that bolts right in. But they're devilish environmental actors, belching diesel exhaust all day as they creep through the city. But Wright realized he could make a much bigger difference tackling trucks most often associated with early morning wakeups, diesel fumes, and the stench of rotting garbage. He wanted to build a high-performance electric sports cars and even created a concept called the X1 that could hit 60 mph in under three seconds. Wright is a founder of Tesla Motorswho left early on to launch Wrightspeed. Ian Wright sees them revolutionizing something else: garbage trucks. They cram piles of power into a small, lightweight package, and have revolutionized air travel since their invention in the 1930s. $476,966.Turbine engines are ideal technology for jets.$908,686 Paterson Fire Department, two electric ambulances and two EV charging stations.$218,713 Paterson Fire Department, one electric utility truck and one EV charging station.$485,000 City of Burlington, one electric truck.$702,000 Town of Secaucus, two electric garbage trucks and two EV charging stations.$1,021,616 City of Newark, two electric refuse trucks.$400,000 Borough of Wharton, one electric garbage truck.$192,500 Borough of Merchantville, one electric garbage truck.

