EDITORIAL: Medium-duty trucks make headway-and headlines

Trucks in the medium-duty and heavy-duty pickup segments have been capturing headlines of late, with new production-vehicle launches and major product introductions at trade shows hitting at an accelerated pace.

At the CES show in January, Peterbilt unveiled its fully-electric Model 220EV medium-duty truck, joining the 520EV and 579EV models already in the company's EV portfolio. The 220EV is powered by two TransPower battery packs with a total of 148 kWh and a Meritor Blue Horizon two-speed drive eAxle. A range of 100 miles and a recharge time of one hour using DC fast charging make the truck suitable for local pick-up and delivery operations. The 220EV will be delivered starting summer 2019, with six in service this year with a major customer.