The Heil® Co., Autocar, LLC and Recology, Inc today announced the upcoming delivery of a fully electric refuse collection vehicle jointly developed by Heil and Autocar for Recology, whom will operate the truck as part of its waste and recycling services for the City of Issaquah, Washington.
The vehicle pairs Autocar’s E-ACX™ all-electric chassis with the Heil RevAMP® electric automated side loader body, creating a fully integrated electric refuse platform with no hydraulics on route, designed to support municipal sustainability initiatives while maintaining the performance, durability, and uptime fleets demand.
The unit will operate under Recology’s service contract with the City of Issaquah, a municipality recognized for its leadership in sustainability through its LEED for Cities certification program. The addition of this zero-emission refuse vehicle supports the City’s continued efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and advance long-term environmental goals in their community.
The Autocar E-ACX is a purpose-built, all-electric severe-duty refuse truck engineered specifically for demanding collection applications. Featuring an EV powertrain designed and built in-house, the E-ACX delivers zero-emission operation without sacrificing range, payload, or reliability. Through what Autocar and Heil refer to as the Power of One® Plus integration, the chassis and body were engineered together as a single system, eliminating the need for costly modifications and creating a highly consistent and efficient 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.
The Heil RevAMP all-electric automated side loader body is engineered to integrate with multiple chassis configurations, including both fully electric and traditional diesel or CNG platforms. When mounted on a diesel or CNG chassis, the system is designed to support improved fuel efficiency and reduced overall environmental impact. When paired with an electric chassis such as the Autocar E-ACX, the platform delivers zero tailpipe emissions without compromising the productivity, performance, or reliability that fleets expect from Heil refuse equipment. By integrating the body and chassis as one engineered solution, the system is optimized for real-world collection routes, stop-and-go duty cycles, and the daily demands of municipal service.
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 is known nationally for their focus on recycling and composting, climate leadership, and strong community partnership. With a long track record of investing early in cutting-edge fleet technology, Recology has powered more than 90% of its collection fleet with renewable or alternative fuels. The addition of this fully electric refuse vehicle brings that commitment to the City of Issaquah, delivering quieter operations and zero tailpipe emissions while helping Recology evaluate real-world performance on the routes its teams run and maintain.
“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.”