Altec’s International eMV TA60 offers an all-electric bucket truck solution favored by the utility industry.
about 15 years ago. The vehicle fea- tured an Altec AT37-G aerial boom and was unveiled at the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference (EUFMC.) SEA Electric , an Australian company, released an all-electric bucket truck in 2019, and Terex Utilities debuted its all-electric bucket truck in June 2022 at the NTEA Work Truck Week confer- ence. Electric-powered takeoff technology (ePTO) has been on the scene for lon- ger. ePTO technology harnesses elec- tricity from a battery or electric motor to power auxiliary functions that might normally come from a combustion en- gine. These can include hydraulic sys- tems, power steering, and heating and air conditioning. Combined with a combustion vehicle, ePTO can reduce or even eliminate the need to keep the engine running to power these functions, resulting in re- duced emissions and cost savings. According to ePTO manufacturer Viatec , the technology has existed for decades but didn’t stick until the turn of the cen- tury. Viatec’s SmartPTO represents the third generation of ePTO technology, developed to improve upon previous issues with bulk and instability.
routes do not have access for charging overnight.” Charging is surely one of the major bar- riers to the widespread use of electric bucket trucks. “We’ve found that the electric utility customers who are experiencing the greatest success with our electric buck- et trucks in the field today have a clear understanding of their routes, duty cycles, and have developed a plan to access charging to get the full benefit
E-BUCKET TRUCKS IN TREE CARE While tree care companies use bucket trucks in their daily operations, man- ufacturers tend to market all-electric products to utility companies instead. “We are studying electric vehicles as it relates to arborist work practices and taking a thoughtful approach to the tree industry,” said Joe Caywood, director of marketing and product management at Terex. “The one major consideration to- day for arborists is that their days and
Powered by the SEA-Drive 120b power-system with a 136 kWh battery capacity; this bucket truck is powerful enough to operate the elevated boom and travel over 200 km on a single charge.
14 | ArborTIMES Spring 2024
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