Heil, Autocar and Recology have announced the upcoming delivery of a fully integrated electric refuse truck that will enter service in Issaquah, Washington, under Recology’s municipal collection contract with the city. The vehicle pairs Autocar’s E-ACX all-electric chassis with Heil’s RevAMP electric automated side loader body, producing a Class 8 collection truck with no on-route hydraulics. It will support Issaquah’s LEED for Cities sustainability program and Recology’s broader transition toward zero-emission collection.
Highlights
- Fully integrated electric platform combines the Autocar E-ACX chassis and Heil RevAMP electric automated side loader body, with no hydraulics on route
- Vehicle will operate under Recology’s collection contract for the City of Issaquah, Washington, which holds LEED for Cities certification
- Recology already powers more than 90% of its collection fleet with renewable or alternative fuels
- Autocar’s E-ACX uses an in-house-designed EV powertrain engineered specifically for severe-duty refuse applications
A Single Engineered System, Not a Retrofit
The Autocar E-ACX is a purpose-built, all-electric severe-duty refuse chassis with an EV powertrain designed and built in-house. Autocar and Heil developed the truck under what the companies call their Power of One Plus integration approach, in which the chassis and body are engineered together as a single system rather than mated after the fact. The companies say this eliminates the need for aftermarket modifications and produces a more consistent build process.
“You don’t build a truck like the E-ACX overnight, it’s the result of decades of building severe-duty vehicles and applying that real-world, curb-backwards experience to electrification. We took what drivers know and trust about the ACX platform and evolved it into the industry’s first fully integrated EV refuse truck. Working together with Heil let us engineer the truck as a complete system, pairing our in-house electric powertrain with the integrated RevAMP body to deliver real performance, range, and payload without compromise,” said Juan Higgs, Chief of Engineering, ACX, Autocar.
RevAMP Body Designed for Multiple Powertrains
The Heil RevAMP all-electric automated side loader is engineered to integrate with both electric chassis and conventional diesel or CNG platforms. On a diesel or CNG chassis, the electric body is designed to support improved fuel efficiency by removing parasitic hydraulic loads. Paired with the Autocar E-ACX, it delivers a zero-tailpipe-emission collection vehicle optimized for the stop-and-go duty cycles of municipal routes.
The integrated approach mirrors a wider industry trend toward purpose-built electric refuse platforms. In late 2024, Republic Services placed an order for 100 McNeilus Volterra electric refuse and recycling trucks, one of the largest single orders for fully integrated electric collection vehicles to date.
Tony Giles, Alternative Fuels Product Director for Heil, added, “Electrification only works if it performs in the field. Our focus with the RevAMP has been to ensure fleets can transition to electric collection without disrupting operations or compromising productivity. By working closely with the Autocar team, we were able to create a seamlessly integrated solution that supports Recology’s sustainability objectives while meeting the day-to-day demands of serving the City of Issaquah.”
Recology’s Continuing Zero-Emission Push
Recology, an employee-owned waste services company headquartered in San Francisco, operates across California, Oregon and Washington. The Issaquah deployment extends a multi-year pattern of early-adopter activity — Recology previously partnered with New Way Trucks and Hyzon to test North America’s first hydrogen fuel cell electric refuse truck on its California routes.
“Recology has a long track record of adopting emerging technologies and partnering with equipment manufacturers to develop solutions that help us deliver safer, smarter, and more reliable service to the communities we serve,” said Salvatore Coniglio, Chief Executive Officer, Recology. “Bringing this fully electric truck into service in Issaquah is an important step in our transition to zero-emission collection, and we’re excited to learn how zero-emission technology performs in real-world conditions on our routes.”
The vehicle will enter service in Issaquah following commissioning and operator training.
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