Wakarusa Plant Producing Hundreds of All-Electric Commercial Trucks
The sound of a FedEx delivery truck rumbling down a neighborhood street signals that a package will be arriving on your doorstep before the delivery person has even stepped out of the vehicle. That familiar engine rumble may soon be silenced as FedEx begins using Indiana-produced all-electric commercial trucks—described as being "quiet as a whisper." The FedEx partnership with Illinois-based Navistar, Inc. is part of a $39.2 million federal stimulus grant announced in late 2009 to build 400 eStar all-electric trucks, all of which are now being manufactured at the Navistar plant in Wakarusa.
"[The eStar project] brings manufacturing to a whole new level in Indiana," says Mark Aubry, Navistar's eStar vice president of sales and marketing. "Also, from a technology standpoint, having this available here is something our customers based here in Indiana are extremely excited about, as well as the governor and other state leaders." ListenDesign and pre-production work for the eStar began at the northern Indiana facility in August 2009 when President Obama visited the plant to announce the federal grant to build electric trucks. In May, less than a year after the announcement, eStar trucks began rolling off the production line in Wakarusa.
FedEx is the first to purchase eStars; Navistar has delivered four trucks to FedEx for daily package delivery routes in the Los Angeles area. Navistar leaders say FedEx has committed to ordering more eStars, but has not released the number. In late June, Navistar delivered two trucks to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), also in California, making it the first utility company to purchase the vehicles. Navistar has committed to build 400 units by the end of 2010, but hopes to produce upwards of 1,000 by 2011. Listen
"There is not a single day—including Saturday and Sunday—that we don't have handfuls of inquiries coming in," says Aubry. "We're opening three dealers on the West Coast currently, and we're working on our Midwest dealership openings. In the next 45 days, we'll be going to the East Coast to open those dealerships. The response has been fantastic and really overwhelming. It's not something we didn't expect, but we're certainly excited about the response."
Aubry says package delivery companies make up the "lion share" of interest for the trucks, which are designed for the light- and medium-duty commercial trucking market in urban areas. The remainder of interest is coming from food and beverage businesses, utility companies and municipalities. In addition to operational benefits, such as eliminating fuel costs, Aubry says organizations that enlist zero emissions eStars in their fleet demonstrate an "environmental commitment."
"From a missions statement standpoint, it's going to speak volumes; the company can show visibly that they're working toward sustainability," says Aubry. "From a tangible perspective, a single eStar will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 tons annually. That, multiplied over a fleet's life cycle, will be a significant impact on the environment."
Due to the eStar's capacity, size and application, Aubry says "there are truly no competitors" for the truck. The vehicle has a 100-mile range per charge and features a "cassette-type" battery that can be swapped out in 20 minutes, enabling "around the clock" operation. The company touts other features, including a specially designed windshield to give the driver 180-degree visibility, a low-floor structure that eases loading and unloading, the ability to carry two-ton payloads and a "near zero" noise level. Listen
Aubry says, most importantly, the eStar is the only commercial truck "purpose-built" from the ground up to be all-electric, versus competitors that retro-fit gasoline engine trucks with electric capabilities.
"[The eStar] offers future value; as technology continues to become lighter, more efficient, smaller, etcetera, the eStar itself and the core function of the vehicle doesn't have to change," says Aubry. "As technology continues to change, the eStar can adapt to that. The batteries are probably the most technologically advanced batteries on the market today, and the vehicle can undergo adaptations along the way without any core functionality having to change."
While some uncertainty surrounds Navistar's presence in Fort Wayne—the company is considering consolidating its truck design and technology center and leaving Allen County—Aubry says such a move would have no effect on the Wakarusa facility and production of the eStar.
Aubry says throughout the entire life of the grant to support the eStar project, about 700 jobs will have been created among Navistar and its supply chain, "which certainly has an impact on the local marketplace here in Wakarusa." Navistar leaders are hopeful eStar trucks will continue to roll off the production line far into the future—quieting streets, improving the environment and changing how fleets operate in the world of vehicle "electrification."