After some engineering development, a $39 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, and some goodwill, Navistar is set to build 400 all-electric commercial delivery trucks in 2010. The Illinois-based engine and truck manufacturer will build the delivery trucks in its Elkhart County, Indiana facility and recently revealed its still-unnamed electric truck to Congress, where Navistar demonstrated its features and capabilities. Navistar says its newest venture will reduce dependency on foreign oil, create additional jobs, and put the U.S. back at the forefront of clean vehicle technology, all successful pitch points that are attractive to Congressmen.
"The all-electric commercial truck is a concrete example of advanced technology that will be swiftly brought to market with government incentives, just like diesel-hybrid trucks and school buses,” said Greg Elliott, Navistar's senior vice president. "We must continue to invest together for the next generation of advanced vehicles with innovative aerodynamic design and greater hybrid and electric market penetration across the nation.”
Navistar's all-electric delivery truck is likely to be tapped for fleet use in light-duty applications where stop-and-go traffic would be the preeminent driving condition.