UT Knoxville Deploys McNeilus Volterra Electric Garbage Truck — SkimNews
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- University of Tennessee, Knoxville deployed a McNeilus Volterra ZFL electric garbage truck on campus this week, replacing diesel-powered waste collection on routes that run past dorms, libraries, and lecture halls.
- The McNeilus Volterra ZFL is a Class 8 electric refuse truck fitted with a 499 kWh battery pack (with an optional 665 kWh pack), powered through a high-torque e-axle and equipped with regenerative braking.
- McNeilus rates the Volterra's base configuration for up to 110 miles of route capability over a 10-hour shift, which the company says covers all-day campus recycling duty on a single charge.
- Lee Dreas, president of McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing, called UT an ideal example of how purpose-built electric refuse vehicles can be integrated into demanding real-world operations.
- Brad Moats, recycling supervisor at UT Knoxville Facilities Services, said the truck lets the university support regional manufacturing while measuring electric-vehicle performance under daily campus conditions.
Why it matters: Campus refuse routes — short, stop-and-go, low-speed, noise-sensitive — are precisely the duty cycle that exposes weaknesses in diesel trucks and showcases battery-electric advantages, so UT's deployment becomes a real-world test bed. With McNeilus building the vehicle in-state and Knoxville running daily routes, the 499 kWh / 110-mile platform gets continuous operational feedback rather than a one-off demo.
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