XL Fleet Corp. has entered into a strategic partnership with Curbtender, a provider of Under CDL refuse trucks and 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.

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 medium-duty Class 3 through heavy-duty Class 8 vehicle solutions for the waste management industry.

Refuse trucks represent a $7 billion market segment within the global commercial fleet industry, according to XL Fleet, 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 a high-impact opportunity to drive decarbonization within the commercial sector.

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,” said Dimitri Kazarinoff, XL Fleet CEO. “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.”