Con Edison’s First All-Electric Bucket Truck Rolls Out on Streets of New York
Utility Truck Will Help Maintain Overhead Electric System Without Emitting Any Tailpipe Pollution; Underscores Con Edison’s Commitment to Vehicle Electrification
Con Edison is rolling out its first all-electric bucket truck, demonstrating its commitment to vehicle electrification and its support for cutting-edge clean energy technologies.
The bucket truck will help maintain overhead electric lines and repair critical infrastructure after storms in the New York City region, lifting line workers as high as 60 feet in the air.
The vehicle and its aerial equipment run entirely on electricity stored in two separate battery systems, making it one of the first all-electric bucket trucks capable of performing a full range of work to join a utility fleet in North America.
“A generational change is rippling across the transportation sector, and we’re excited to get the keys to what’s not only our first all-electric bucket truck, but one of the first in the nation,” said Fortunato Gulino, Con Edison’s chief automotive engineer. “This truck will help maintain our critical infrastructure without putting out any tailpipe emissions, and studying its performance in the field will help guide our approach to moving our vehicle fleet away from fossil fuels.”
The Class 7 bucket truck was built by South Dakota-based Terex Utilities, with an all-electric International chassis supplied by Navistar. The truck will be on display and available for public viewing outside the New York Stock Exchange on Dec. 13 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Electric vehicles are a central pillar of New York’s clean energy vision, and their widespread adoption will result in cleaner air in local communities and fewer greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. Con Edison offers a range of incentive programs to support New Yorkers considering adopting an EVs, and the company is working to electrify its own large fleet of vehicles.
A Bucket Truck That Runs on Batteries
Con Edison now buys only electric vehicles for its light-duty fleet, but moving away from fossil fuels is a more challenging task for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles due to their size and operational needs. Con Edison’s existing fleet of approximately 300 bucket trucks runs on diesel and gasoline.
The new electric truck from Terex is powered by a lithium-ion battery with 210 kilowatt-hours of capacity, offering an estimated 135 miles of driving range – more than enough to get through a typical workday. With a gross vehicle weight rating of 33,000 pounds, the truck is expected to take roughly 11 hours to recharge its batteries.
The bucket truck will be evaluated over the next few years on its operational performance, fuel savings, greenhouse gas reductions, charge time and other aspects. EVs are quieter than internal combustion engine vehicles and do not emit tailpipe pollution, both attractive features for utility trucks, which often leave their engines on as they perform work maintaining the electric system.
In addition to the truck from Terex Utilities, Con Edison has ordered a second all-electric bucket truck from Lion Electric and Posi Plus, which will go through a similar evaluation period after its expected delivery in 2023.
Building a Clean Energy Grid for Electric Vehicles
Con Edison is building a grid to deliver 100 percent clean power by 2040, ensuring that EVs deliver significant environmental benefits compared to vehicles that run on fossil fuels.
Con Edison’s PowerReady program is among the largest utility EV support programs in the country. Through PowerReady, Con Edison intends to support the installation of 19,000 EV chargers in its service area by 2025, and 400,000 by 2035, to help meet demand for charging as EV ownership grows in New York.
In addition to PowerReady, Con Edison supports EV adoption through a range of other support programs, including SmartCharge New York, which is a managed charging program aimed at reducing stress on the grid from EV charging, and through a partnership with NYC Department of Transportation and charging company Flo that installed curbside chargers in all five boroughs.
Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $14 billion in annual revenues and $66 billion in assets. The utility delivers electricity, natural gas and steam, and serves 3.5 million customers in New York City and Westchester County. Through Consolidated Edison Inc.’s subsidiary, Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, the company is the second-largest owner of solar electric projects in North America.