Peterbilt adds cab configurations to Model 520, debuts electric model

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Peterbilt has added three new cab configurations to its Model 520: Left-Hand Drive, Right-Hand Drive and Right-Hand Stand-Up Drive in addition to the Dual Seated Drive configuration rolled out last year.

A redesigned Right-Hand Stand-Up cab configuration improves ease of ingress and egress for applications that require the driver to exit the cab multiple times during the route reducing driver fatigue. Driver ergonomics are further enhanced, Peterbilt says, by standard adjustable seat, angled steering wheel and dead-pedal to rest their left foot during operation.

Among the Model 520’s standard features are pantographic wipers, which improve visibility by providing 30 percent more coverage of the windshield surface and RP-170 body connections to seamlessly integrate with outfitted bodies.

The Model 520 is available with a wide range of engines, including the Paccar PX-9, Paccar MX-11 and Cummins ISX12 diesel engines, as well as the Cummins ISL-G, ISL-G Near Zero and ISX12-G natural gas engines.

For the anti-fossil fuel segment, Peterbilt debuted a Model 520 refuse truck demo with an advanced battery-electric drive system at the WasteExpo 2017 show in New Orleans this week.

“Peterbilt is working closely with its partners to explore the capabilities and performance of battery-electric drive systems.” said Scott Newhouse, Peterbilt Chief Engineer. “Customers in urban environments and applications such as drayage and refuse collection stand to benefit from the zero-emissions performance of these advanced vehicles.”

The display model Model 520 is equipped with the Transpower ElecTruck drive system, which has accumulated over 80,000 miles of Class 8 heavy duty use in a variety of commercial applications since 2013. The ElecTruck system uses high-power electric motors, inverters and batteries to power commercial trucks weighing as much as 80,000 lb.

Joshua Goldman, TransPower’s vice president of business development, says powering heavy refuse trucks is a logical next step in the adaptation of the company’s electric drive technology to vehicles requiring conversion to zero-emission operation.

The variant of the TransPower ElecTruck system developed for the Model 520 refuse truck uses a 300 kilowatt-hour battery pack to enable an urban refuse truck to operate for up to 65 miles or eight hours on a single charge. The ElecTruck system also features a 70 kilowatt onboard battery charger that can fully charge the truck’s lithium-ion battery pack in two-four hours.