Autocar’s Record-Breaking Innovations Remain Unparalleled and Celebrated

March 2023

BIRMINGHAM, AL… Autocar LLC, the proud American manufacturer of premium and purpose-built vocational trucks carrying North America’s oldest truck brand, today shared its record-breaking accomplishments and innovations from 2022. Over the past year, the Autocar brand celebrated its 125th anniversary, marking another momentous year as the nation’s first and oldest truck brand. Fueling Autocar’s continued success in the EV market is the delivery of its first all-electric terminal tractor, the E-ACTT, and the announcement of its forthcoming electric refuse truck, the E-ACX.  

As 2023 gets underway, Autocar reflects on the brand’s proud legacy while also looking to a future of new possibilities–one that promises to meticulously uphold the brand’s premium customer experience while also proving itself as a pioneer in new spaces. 

Celebrating 125 Years of the Autocar Brand 

Only a select number of brands can lay claim to being part of the historical efforts of building and driving critical sectors of America’s economic infrastructure—let alone for 125 years. Yet, the Autocar brand has achieved just that—beginning with the brand’s namesake the “Autocar No. 1” in 1897 to proudly adorning the grill of today’s Autocar trucks as Autocar LLC builds twenty-first-century fleets made up of custom, innovative severe-duty trucks and electric vehicles for an increasingly growing market.   

Great companies always look forward, but they also honor what went before them. For the Autocar brand, the industry-changing year of 1899 marked the heart of an industrial revolution when the first motor truck commercially available in the United States was introduced—a purpose-built truck with the first engine-under-the-seat design that offered a payload capacity of 700 pounds. This modern marvel ushered in an era of premium trucks produced solely for vocational needs, equipping them with a cabover engine that maximized freight capacity and revolutionized the company’s offerings. As the Autocar brand proudly honors its past, the future looks bright. 

For the brand’s 125th anniversary in October 2022, Autocar partnered with local officials in the cities of its manufacturing locations in Birmingham, Alabama, and Hagerstown, Indiana, to celebrate the special occasion. Both cities announced official proclamations declaring October 21 as” Autocar Day” to honor the brand’s significant impact in Birmingham, Hagerstown and other communities nationwide. 

The Legacy of Electrification Returns 

Over the brand’s 125-year history, Autocar-brand trucks have been no stranger to taking on the ambitious role of pioneers in multiple areas—like powering trucks with compressed natural gas (CNG) and electricity. The brand has always meant innovation, however, long before other EV competitors in the automotive industry. In 1923, with prescient foresight and engineering acumen, the Autocar brand was carried on the nation’s first electric trucks, the E1 and E2, offering customers and the economy a before-its-time alternative to navigate and traverse the streets of major American cities sustainably. Nearly a century later, Autocar leads the industry with forward-thinking manufacturing, creating innovative and reliable EV options with their E-ACTT terminal tractor and the E-ACX refuse truck. 

Initially announced in 2021, the Autocar E-ACTT? is the brand’s first all-electric terminal tractor option that offers zero emissions and maximum uptime. The first production units were delivered in 2022 to Autocar customers Old Dominion Freight Line and Stater Bros. Markets. By integrating the E-ACTT into their fleets, these customers are now experiencing the yard truck’s fast charge cycle (from 10% to 100% within only two hours), a duty cycle of up to 22 hours and the introduction of multiple safety features. 

The electric terminal tractor was not the only Autocar EV that made an impact this past year. In August, Autocar announced the forthcoming field testing for its first electric refuse truck option,  the E-ACX. The garbage truck manufacturer’s first all-electric cabover truck is currently in the final stages of development. Autocar is gearing up to provide fleets with the same premium features and durability its customers have long enjoyed with its diesel and CNG counterparts. 

Hexagon Agility Smart Gauge – Blue iQ 

As diesel emissions and other environmental regulations become increasingly stringent, Autocar has committed itself to developing trucks and implementing technology that can meet these standards while also achieving the same quality and satisfaction its customers have always demanded. 

For nearly two decades, Autocar has been a leading pioneer in introducing CNG trucks into the American economy, making up 60% of the manufacturer’s custom-engineered and hand-built refuse truck sales. In 2022, Autocar continued innovating in the alternative fuel market by becoming the first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to integrate the Blue iQ smart gauge into its driver display and information center. 

In partnership with Hexagon Agility The Blue iQ gauge allows operators to track their trucks’ fuel levels, mechanical performance and other important features in one consolidated location. Such advancement will ensure the truck operates efficiently and provide real-time solutions for issues. Additionally, the smart gauge enhances operator safety by reducing driver distractions, using the same already-installed Smart Display in Autocar trucks for operator information and telematics. 

Named One of CIO Bulletin’s Most Admired Companies to Watch 

The last year marked innovations, ambitious announcements and a nostalgic look back at the proud legacy of the beloved Autocar brand. To celebrate the brand’s legacy and upcoming innovations, CIO Bulletin placed Autocar LLC in its list of the?50 Most Admired Companies to Watch in 2022. 

“It has been an honor to see the Autocar brand grow and expand over the past year through our exciting new moves into the EV space, our continued success in safety records, our dedicated staff and our relentless focus on a premium customer experience,” said Andrew Taitz, chairman of Autocar LLC. “We have been working hard to bring new and innovative products to our customers in 2023, we can't wait for them to see what we have in store.”  

For more information about Autocar LLC, please visit www.AutocarTruck.com.