Electric innovation

Taylor Machine Works has partnered with Proterra, which develops commercial vehicle electrification technology. Taylor will power the next-generation Taylor ZLC Series electric container handler with 904 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy and the ZH Series electric forklift with 225kWh of energy using Proterra’s battery technology.

Robert Taylor Sr., president and chief operating officer of The Taylor Group of Companies, stated: “Our commitment to the electric market for material handling and container handling equipment will be a strategic engineering collaboration between Taylor and Proterra. We believe that Proterra’s vision for EV battery technology and their commitment to zero-emission standards align with the Taylor vision.”

2022 launch

These electric container handlers and forklifts will support various heavy-duty applications, including container handling in port environments. Taylor expects to deliver the first Proterra powered Taylor vehicle to customers in 2022.

Taylor and Proterra will also be working together to help ports and other customers electrify their heavy-duty, material handling machinery by delivering charging and infrastructure solutions.

Engineered in 2019, the battery-electric ZLC Series is designed to load and unload shipping containers weighing up to 75,000 pounds in port environments, while meeting stringent zero-emissions standards.

“Electrifying heavy-duty equipment is a win-win for our ports and our communities. It means protecting our health and the air we breathe at the same time we meet the needs of the world’s busiest ports and other industrial settings with new technologies,” said Gareth Joyce, president of Proterra Powered & Energy.