February 28, 2025
As more municipalities prioritize clean and efficient operations, electric refuse and recycling collection vehicles (eRCVs) lead the charge toward this sustainable future.
Operating on electric power, eRCVs are a low emission alternative to traditional refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) that rely on diesel or gas. As a result, they’re helping to reshape how municipalities and businesses approach refuse and recycling collection.
Beyond trash collection, versatile eRCVs can also handle compost and recyclables, making them essential in comprehensive refuse management strategies. With low emissions and quiet operation, eRCVs are a win for both the environment and the communities they serve. We explore more on this topic below focusing on the McNeilus® Volterra ZSL™ eRCV.
What are the Key Benefits of Choosing the Volterra ZSL™ Electric Refuse Collection Vehicle?
The McNeilus® Volterra ZSL™ eRCV is at the forefront of electric refuse collection technology, combining power, efficiency and sustainability in one innovative vehicle. Designed to meet the demands of modern cities and municipalities, it is more than just an electric refuse and recycling collection vehicle—it represents a significant leap forward in clean, quiet and efficient refuse management.
Promoting Operator Safety
The Volterra ZSL eRCV is designed to help promote operator safety, incorporating many of the advanced features you'd find in a personal automobile. Equipped with 360-degree cameras and autonomous emergency braking, the Volterra ZSL eRCV’s technology helps promotes driver situational awareness and control. Its purpose-built field of view offers outstanding visibility, helping drivers to spot pedestrians, cyclists, children and other obstacles in urban environments.
The Volterra ZSL™ is engineered specifically to meet the demands of the refuse industry.
Designed for Driver Comfort
A comfortable driver can mean a focused, efficient operator, and the Volterra ZSL truck is built with the driver’s comfort in mind, a difference you’ll see as soon as you sit in the cab. Its cab offers almost 38% more space than the industry average, giving operators more room to move and work comfortably.
In an industry where driver retention is a persistent challenge, thoughtful cab design elements are critical in providing an excellent overall operator experience.
Unlike conventional trucks, which can have controls spread out throughout the cab, the Volterra ZSL’s layout is open and uncluttered helping promote driver efficiency and comfort with controls in a consistent location. The flip up armrest with controls provides convenience with unrestricted movement by flipping up as well as adjusting in height and forwards and backwards for outstanding comfort and efficiency.
The interior is designed to adapt to each driver’s needs. The tilting and telescoping steering wheel help promote a comfortable fit. Other examples include the seat’s customizability of air suspension with adjustable damper, lumbar, headrest and more. These small but essential details help make long shifts behind the wheel manageable.
With its consistent 15” step for easy entry, exceptional direct visibility and integrated active safety systems, the Volterra ZSL eRCV’s cab is intentionally designed to provide a comfortable and efficient work environment.
100% Fully Electric Power
An impressive feature of the McNeilus® Volterra ZSL™ is its ability to handle the demands of a full day’s work on a single charge. This efficiency allows the Volterra ZSL to collect up to 1,500 homes daily, with the capacity for three dump or transfer station trips, helping municipalities and businesses reach their sustainability goals.
Every detail, from battery size to energy capacity, is designed to match the specific demands of the truck’s route and application, making the Volterra ZSL eRCV an efficient, purpose-driven solution for modern refuse and recycling collection.
Positive Environmental Impact
he Volterra ZSL electric vehicle contributes to environmental sustainability by offering zero emissions during operation as a fully battery-electric vehicle. Operating with no diesel or other fossil fuels eliminates tailpipe emissions, and helps manage the environmental footprint of daily waste collection.
The transition to electric power helps municipalities achieve their sustainability goals and control daily operating expenses thanks to the absence of fuel costs.
Maintenance costs are easy to manage with the Volterra ZSL electric vehicle compared to traditional vehicles. With no engine or emissions systems to maintain, maintenance is solely on the batteries, electric drives and cooling systems, which helps upkeep simple. Helping control noise during travel and most operations also contributes to a quiet, peaceful community presence.
These combined factors make the Volterra ZSL electric refuse and recycling collection vehicle a sustainable, neighborhood-friendly and cost-effective option for municipalities looking to modernize their operations while also focusing on the environment.
Operating Efficiency
Operators can experience a comfortable and efficient work environment inside the Volterra ZSL eRCV cab. With a low step height, drivers can remain focused and productive throughout their shifts. This key feature leads to outstanding performance and a smooth workday, allowing operators to handle routes efficiently.
Beyond the cab, electrifying the truck’s components offers extremely precise controls without traditional hydraulic systems. This truck’s electric systems are very sensitive and responsive, allowing quick, smooth movements. For example, the lift and lower of the collection is very quick and efficient in an electric system and can help operators manage their valuable time. Operating quickly and efficiently can make a big difference over the course of a day. The Volterra ZSL eRCV is also designed with moments of autonomy in mind, blending electric and hydraulic systems to find areas for peak performance.
McNeilus has leveraged Oshkosh Corporation’s deep expertise in power management and distribution to develop the McNeilus® Volterra ZSL™ electric refuse and recycling collection vehicle for the refuse industry. By using energy only when necessary, the Volterra ZSL helps avoid wasted power, making it a highly efficient refuse collection vehicle with an easy learning curve for operators.
These thoughtful advancements in electrification and autonomy ensure the Volterra ZSL is ready to meet the demands of today’s routes while paving the way for great future efficiency innovations.
Promoting Efficient Maintenance
The McNeilus® Volterra ZSL™’s design makes maintenance straightforward and efficient, with operators and service technicians in mind. Inside the cab, everything is laid out to help maximize efficiency for the driver, keeping controls within easy reach which can help make daily operations smooth. But the real innovation comes from behind the cab, where a single panel runs the truck's systems and fluids. This panel provides quick and easy access to essential components for maintenance.
Before starting a route, operators can perform a pre-trip inspection by opening this panel to perform fluid checks. Whether it’s hydraulic fluid or cooling systems, everything is organized in one place, making it convenient for operators and service technicians to ensure the truck is in good working order. The simplicity of this design can help control the time spent on inspections and maintenance, keeping trucks on the road for long periods and with little downtime.
Community Impact
The commitment to serving communities with outstanding refuse and recycling collection services is at the heart of the McNeilus® Volterra ZSL™ refuse and recycling collection vehicle’s design. The eRCV helps provide the drivers with a great experience and support the communities it operates in. Promoting safe and efficient refuse and recycling collection, it offers a premium field of vision, designed to help address blind spots.
One of the most noticeable benefits to the community is how quiet the Volterra ZSL is. Traditional refuse trucks can be loud, with a particular impact on residents in neighborhoods or city centers. The Volterra ZSL electric vehicle changes that, operating almost silently with no engine revving when approaching a bin. While the sound of the arm lifting and dumping bins remains, controlling vehicle noise opens new collection time opportunities.>
Beyond noise management, the Volterra ZSL eRCV also helps control emissions, helping promote great air quality in the communities it serves. In addition to the quiet, clean operation, there’s no compromise in performance. The Volterra ZSL electric vehicle maintains the same or better collection times as our traditional refuse collection vehicles, ensuring efficiency without sacrificing quality or functionality.
The combination of safety and efficiency combined with a focus on the environmental impact makes the Volterra ZSL an asset for any community looking to provide world-class refuse services.
Interested in learning more about how the McNeilus® Volterra ZSL™ can benefit your community or business?
Contact your local dealer or McNeilus sales leader to explore how our electric refuse and recycling collection vehicles can help you achieve your sustainability and efficiency goals.
We’d love to hear your feedback on our unique eRCV design. Leave a comment or get in touch to start the conversation.