Autocar LLC shared its record-breaking accomplishments and innovations from 2022. In 2022, the Autocar brand celebrated its 125th anniversary, marking another year as the nation’s first and oldest truck brand. Fueling Autocar’s continued success in the EV market is the delivery of its first all-electric terminal tractor, the E-ACTT. The brand also announced its forthcoming electric refuse truck, the E-ACX.
Autocar reflects on the brand’s legacy while looking to a future of new possibilities; one that promises to uphold the brand’s premium customer experience while also proving itself as a pioneer in new spaces.
CELEBRATING 125 YEARS OF THE AUTOCAR BRAND
Beginning with the brand’s namesake the “Autocar No. 1” in 1897 to proudly adorning the grill of today’s Autocar trucks as Autocar LLC builds 21st-century fleets made up of custom, innovative severe-duty trucks and electric vehicles for an increasingly growing market.
For the Autocar brand, 1899 saw the introduction of the first commercially available motor truck in the United States. It was a purpose-built truck with the first engine-under-the-seat design that offered a payload capacity of 700 lbs. This modern marvel ushered in an era of premium trucks produced solely for vocational needs. Autocar equipped these trucks with a cabover engine that maximized freight capacity and revolutionized the company’s offerings.
For its 125th anniversary, Autocar partnered with local officials in the cities of its manufacturing locations to celebrate the occasion. Birmingham, Alabama, and Hagerstown, Indiana, announced official proclamations declaring October 21 as Autocar Day to honor the brand’s significant impact in Birmingham, Hagerstown, and other communities nationwide.
THE LEGACY OF ELECTRIFICATION RETURNS
Historically, Autocar-brand trucks have taken on the role of pioneers in areas such as CNG-powered and electric-powered trucks. In 1923, the Autocar brand was carried on the nation’s first electric trucks, the E1 and E2. Nearly a century later, Autocar created EV options with its E-ACTT terminal tractor and the E-ACX refuse truck.
Initially announced in 2021, the Autocar E-ACTT is the brand’s first all-electric terminal tractor option that offers zero emissions as well as maximum uptime. The first production units were delivered in 2022 to Autocar customers Old Dominion Freight Line and Stater Bros. Markets. After integrating the E-ACTT into their fleets, customers experience the truck’s fast charge cycle (10% to 100% within two hours). They also experience a duty cycle of up to 22 hours and the introduction of multiple safety features.
In August, Autocar announced the forthcoming field testing for its first electric refuse truck option, the E-ACX. The garbage truck manufacturer’s first all-electric cabover truck is currently in the final stages of development. Autocar now gears up to provide customers the same features and durability they’ve long enjoyed with diesel and CNG counterparts.
HEXAGON AGILITY SMART GAUGE – BLUE IQ
Autocar has committed itself to developing trucks and implementing technology that can meet diesel emissions and other environmental regulations standards while also achieving the same quality and satisfaction its customers have always demanded.
For nearly two decades, Autocar has pioneered the introduction of CNG trucks into the American economy. In fact, CNG-powered trucks make up 60% of the manufacturer’s custom-engineered and hand-built refuse truck sales. In 2022, Autocar continued innovation, becoming the first OEM to integrate the Blue iQ smart gauge into its driver display.
Partnering with Hexagon Agility, the Blue iQ gauge allows operators to track their trucks’ fuel levels, mechanical performance, as well as other important features in one consolidated location. Such advancement will ensure the truck operates efficiently and provide real-time solutions for issues. Additionally, the smart gauge enhances operator safety by reducing driver distractions, using the same already-installed Smart Display in Autocar trucks for operator information and telematics.
NAMED ONE OF CIO BULLETIN’S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES TO WATCH
To celebrate the brand’s legacy as well as upcoming innovations, CIO Bulletin placed Autocar LLC in its list of the 50 Most Admired Companies to Watch in 2022.
“It has been an honor to see the Autocar brand grow and expand over the past year through our exciting new moves into the EV space, our continued success in safety records, our dedicated staff and our relentless focus on a premium customer experience,” says Andrew Taitz, chairman of Autocar LLC. “We have been working hard to bring new and innovative products to our customers in 2023. We can’t wait for them to see what we have in store.”
Find out more, visit www.autocartruck.com.
