Autocar tooled for the future with dedicated EV line

Autocar, LLC, manufacturer of severe-duty vocational trucks is the only American-owned and operated original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of trucks

Autocar has enhanced its manufacturing facility in Birmingham, Alabama, with an advanced EV assembly line, complementing the brand’s handmade heritage.

Blackstone Construction shaped and installed the structure for Autocar’s new EV line, with industrial engineering and technical expertise provided by Triz Advanced Manufacturing. Autocar knows the value of pre-engineering, and assisted by Triz Engineering, the brand now has a dedicated EV component assembly line to ensure the best power unit and battery pack build quality.

Andrew Taitz, chairman of Autocar LLC is excited by the latest assembly line developments in Birmingham. “When we set up the Birmingham plant in 2017, it was a significant moment for Autocar and we got it done in record time. Deepening the plant’s capabilities with our own EV assembly technology, developed by Triz Advanced Manufacturing, shows we have the talent, vision, and commitment to keep advancing with all market developments.”

Autocar’s in-house designed powerpacks and HV battery packs are the first EV powertrain components being assembled on the new line in Birmingham. Andrew Taitz believes the new EV line empowers Autocar to keep delivering on customer expectations, regardless of powertrain choice. “Our customers know, trust and expect Autocar quality. Whichever powertrain option Autocar customers choose, build quality is never optional. It’s a given. Assembling our battery packs in-house, on a dedicated EV line, is the latest technology commitment to our promise of Always Up, for all our trucks.”

Throughout the build phases of Autocar’s advanced EV power units and battery packs, assembly technicians access digital confirmation terminals and scanners to validate the health of each truck’s battery and electrical architecture. Autocar’s new EV line leverages the experience and awareness of master assembly technicians with the benefits of a digitally enhanced assembly system.

Handmade and proudly American aren’t options with Autocar, and that’s true for the new energy trucks too. Autocar’s EV Terminal Tractor is the brand’s first truck to benefit from components made using the Triz Advanced Manufacturing design, integrating power units and battery packs created in Birmingham with the final assembly in Hagerstown, where the E-ACTT is built.

Autocar’s portfolio of assembled EV components is scheduled to expand in the future, realizing the new EV line’s potential.

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