Several high-profile electric vehicle concepts have been introduced the third quarter of 2017, indicating increasing interest from the trucking industry, according to a report from ACT Research.

Three different companies recently made significant announcements in the electric vehicle industry. Cummins suprised the industry by launching its own fully electric Class 7 daycab tractor dubbed the Urban Hauler EV, which is a prototype model only. However, the company plans to start producing electric powertrains for transit buses globally in 2019.

Motiv Power Systems announced that the City of Sacramento, California, will receive its first all-electric garbage truck in the early part of 2018. The technology powering the Electric Refuse Vehicle is an all-electric powertrain from Motiv.

“The Class 8 vehicle will be built on a Crane Carrier chassis, and the body will be built by Loadmaster,” noted Tom Rhein, president of Rhein Associates. “The Sacramento ERV will be one of only two all-electric refuse trucks in operation within North America, both powered by Motiv; the other is in Chicago.”

Chanje, a california electric vehicle company, is introducing a commercial all-electric medium-duty vehicle later this year that is expected to be available at mass scale by the end of the year. Its electric cargo cans are designed from the ground up as purpose-built, long-life EVs, according to ACT.

The analysis was from ACT’s recently released North American On-Highway Commercial Vehicle Engine Outlook, which was produced with Rhein Associates. The report presents historical trends, current activity and forecasts of engine demand in on-highway commercial vehicles. It identifies trends in engine displacement, type, captive and non-captive engines, and premium compared to non-premium power for Class 8 vehicles.

Rhein Associates is a supplier of powertrain information globally. RAI produces three major publications: The Rhein Report, The Future of Diesel Engines (5-year history and forecast book), and various engine databases, as well as various consulting projects.