Peterbilt Unveils Battery-Electric Models 579EV and 567EV
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DENTON, Texas — unveiled two battery-electric truck models — the updated 579EV and the new 567EV — as part of the next evolution in its electric vehicle ambitions.
The revamped 579EV specializes in drayage and regional on-highway applications, with three battery capacity options and a maximum range of 200 miles. DC charging of up to 350 kilowatts allows for 80% charge in just over 90 minutes.
The 567EV serves the vocational market, aimed at refuse and dump trucks, utility trucks and equipment hauling. It features four distinct battery capacity options and a range of up to 250 miles.
The models were unveiled April 14 at a media preview and ride-and-drive event at Texas Motor Speedway in advance of the trucks’ official debut April 28 at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Anaheim, Calif.
“These incredible new truck models represent the best of Peterbilt’s purposeful innovation, leveraging the learnings of our previous generation of electric vehicles to deliver a package with longer range, better performance and enhanced reliability,” said Erik Johnson, Peterbilt’s assistant general manager of sales and marketing.
Both models will be powered by parent company Paccar Inc.’s proprietary ePowertrain. The system features multiple power options for up to 605 horsepower and 1,850 pound-feet of torque. The system deploys lithium iron phosphate battery chemistry, a midship-mounted eMotor with dual electric motors and three-speed transmission, three-stage regenerative braking, and flexible architecture for enhanced suspension integration capabilities.
The revamped 579EV specializes in drayage and regional on-highway applications. (Peterbilt Motors Co.)
Peterbilt Chief Engineer Scott Newhouse said this system gives the manufacturer versatility with what it can offer customers.
“One of the main advantages [of Paccar’s ePowertrain] is that it can be applied to all of these applications,” he said, referring to the sectors targeted with the trucks. “What we’ve been able to do is take a new architecture that can apply across all of [them].”
The trucks are equipped with an electronic park-brake system and a Bendix collision mitigation system. Other technology upgrades include configurable charge start times, an enhanced digital driver display and integration with Peterbilt’s SmartLINQ advanced health monitoring services. Both trucks feature a 13-inch infotainment interface.
Both models are based on Peterbilt’s 2.1-meter-wide cab. Visually, the electric trucks feature distinctive blue accents on the grille and EV-exclusive panels on the side of the hood.
The 567EV serves the vocational market, aimed at refuse and dump trucks, utility trucks and equipment hauling. (Peterbilt Motors Co.)
Johnson noted that Peterbilt and Paccar will assist customers with EV adoption, offering AC and DC chargers with capacity of up to 350 kilowatts through Peterbilt dealers. It has also partnered with charging specialists QMerit and Schneider Electric to help buyers with charging infrastructure planning and installation services.
“We’re working with our dealers every step of the way,” Johnson said. “We’ve been on a really steady pace of growth and development, and our dealers have been with us all along — especially on the customer side.”
The new ePowertrain was under development for about five years. Johnson noted that regulatory uncertainty stoked by the potential easing of federal greenhouse gas limits will not alter Peterbilt’s plans for battery-electric development and deployment.
“Obviously there’s some uncertainty in terms of the regulatory [environment],” Johnson said. “We’re on a path and we’re going to continue on the path, and for us it’s just a matter of if we have to move side-to-side a little bit.”
He also noted that the trucks are intended to be tailored to suit customers’ specific needs.
“We build custom trucks at Peterbilt; every truck you see down the line is different from every other truck we’re building,” Johnson said. “They’re completely custom. So this new powertrain gives us the flexibility of building different bodies [and meeting] different customer expectations on the same platform.”
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